Meet Me At My Window
by lovetaker101
Summary: AU. Jackie dumps Kelso for good after she catches him with Laurie, but she doesn't know how to be alone. Who will she turn to? CHAPTER 16 UP!
1. Prologue: Hyde and Steven

Ok, this came out of nowhere. It's just a little AU about what could have happened in season 2 with all of the Jackie-Kelso-Laurie (and other sluts Kelso cheated with) drama. I had a whole other idea for a story, but I'm having trouble getting it out of my head and onto my computer. Which is annoying, because then I get more ideas like this new fic and I'm suddenly overwhelmed with fanfiction. It's a vicious circle. So, I got this idea from a song by Jack's Mannequin (guess what it's called). Anyway, read and review!!!!

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**Meet Me At My Window**

CHAPTER 1

"Get away from me, Michael! I told you I _don't_ wanna talk to you!"

"C'mon, Jackie, you know I only love you. Look, baby-"

"Don't call me that! I'm not your baby, I never wanted to be. Just leave me alone."

"I don't understand why you're getting all upset, I thought you loved me."

"You don't know why I'm getting upset? You thought I loved you? What the hell do you know about love? You say you love me every day, all the time. And even though I'm, what was it you said? 'The only girl for you'? It's still okay for you to sleep with every skank on the face of the earth!"

"Oh, come on! Like it's possible for me to _meet_ every skank on the face of the earth, let alone have sex with them. I've only slept with the skanks of Point Place!"

"Oh, that's great! You only cheated on me with local girls! Well. I feel SO MUCH BETTER!"

Michael Kelso ducked quickly when his girlfriend (well, ex-girlfriend, like he would ever stay with her after this!) threw the half full bottle of laundry detergent in his direction. It hit the wall with a loud thud. Jackie stood before him, seething. She wished desperately that looks could kill because she knew that the one she was giving Michael would turn him into a little pile of dirt. Which wouldn't be much of a transformation. He looked about ready to curl up and die, when her focus was broken by a certain burnout.

"Hey man, what's with all the noise? It's really killing the mood."

"Yeah, I can see how Michael being the biggest man-whore of the country can spoil your circle time, Hyde," Jackie said, rolling her eyes sarcastically. She was pleased to see that her tone surprised, even unnerved him, he who claims to be zen. "Do you mind? I'm trying to dump this jackass and you're really slowing down the process." He raised his hands in surrender.

"Be my guest. I'm just sorry I missed the first half of the show." Hyde climbed over the back of the couch (that they were sure was orange at some point, or maybe brown?) and sat down, putting his feet up on the coffee table. The small brunette glared at him before returning her gaze to the pretty boy moron, cowering on the floor in fear.

"Get out Michael. We're done."

With no hesitation, Kelso scampered up and yanked the door open, relieved that he was leaving the relationship with his family jewels intact. The door slammed behind him. Jackie sighed and looked at her feet. After all of the screaming and throwing things, the silence seemed louder than everything else.

"That's it? I came out of my room and climbed over the couch for that? What a waste of energy," Hyde said with his usual careless attitude.

"Steven, will you please just shut up?" Jackie asked quietly, suddenly defeated. Hyde pretended not to notice how soft her voice had become. He stood up.

"Oh, _now_ it's 'Steven,' now that your precious Michael is gone. Wouldn't want to let anyone know that I'm more to you than just the dirty poor orphan that lives in his best friend's basement, would you?" He shook his head. "Why am I even surprised." He turned around and headed toward his room, trying to ignore how disappointed he was that she didn't call after him. Hyde slammed the door to his room before he heard Jackie's sob.

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So, do you like? Please, please, please review!!! 


	2. I Could Use a Hero Right Now

It's so cute how all of you reviewers are thinking the same thing. You'll all probably hate me for how short and somewhat pointless this chapter is. But I wanted to write it and you have no say in how this story goes. So there.

Please review!!!!

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CHAPTER 2 

Jackie ran up the stairs and into the Forman kitchen, where the welcoming smells of a home cooked meal made her mouth water. Nothing at her house was home cooked. Jackie didn't really think gormet meals prepared by a professional chef should be considered home cooked. Especially since her mansion had never felt like home.

Donna, Eric and Red were seated at the table. Kitty bustled around the bright room, so excited that her family was eating dinner together. Something Jackie had yet to experience.

"Oh, sweetie, what's wrong?" the ever-caring mother asked when she saw the tears streaking down Jackie's face. She forced a smile.

"Nothing Mrs. Forman, I'm fine," she said, wiping her eyes. "Donna, can I talk to you?"

The redhead immediately stood from the table and led Jackie to the house next door.

"Hey, you are not fine. What's up?" Donna asked as they walked across the driveway.

"Nothing, really, it's just…"

_I could use a hero right now_

She sighed. "I broke up with Michael. I caught him making out with Laurie," she said, knowing Donna wouldn't question her bogus reason. And of course, she didn't.

"That dillhole," she said, shaking her head. "I told him to stop cheating on you. He didn't listen, even when I said if he wouldn't do it for you, at least do it for himself. Who knows where that slut has been."

Jackie snorted in agreement. "More like who _doesn't_- wait, what did you say?" Donna seemed confused at the dark-haired girl's abrupt change in tone.

"What?" she asked.

"You knew?" Jackie yelled. Donna instantly backed away from the tiny, angry cheerleader. "You knew the entire time and you didn't bother to tell me?"

"Jackie, you don't understand-"

"Oh, I understand _perfectly_. I don't believe this. You're supposed to be my friend! What the hell is wrong with you?" Jackie emphasized her question by smacking her best friend's arm.

"Ow! I'm sorry, okay. I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"Well, that worked out great didn't it?" She turned on her heel and made her way across the driveway again. She didn't glance towards the kitchen door, knowing that the room would be oozing with happy family vibes that she couldn't deal with. Instead, Jackie strode straight to the basement steps, needing to be near the only person who she could trust, the only person who always knew how comfort her.

_I could use your, saving now_

"Steven?" she said softly into the dark basement. The sound of guitar chords came from the little bedroom under the stairs. The floor was almost pulsing from the bass, the volume was turned up so loud. She walked slowly to the back of the main room, running her hand along the wall to feel for a doorknob. The toe of her boot bumped against the step leading to his door. She raised her foot above it just as the door opened, a familiar, smoky scent floating through the doorway.

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Hyde was lying on his bed wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweats. A freshly rolled joint was settled between his fingers. His eyes were closed, not that he could tell the difference, it was so dark. He was humming softly to the music bursting loudly from the speakers. Cream, he thought lazily. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered putting the record on. And yet he still heard her. 

His eyes snapped open when he realized she had entered the basement. He sensed, rather than heard her calling his name. Hyde stood up and walked to his door, taking a long drag in the process. He opened it and suddenly he could smell her perfume. Maybe he was imagining it through his stoned haze, but the light smell of vanilla and honeysuckle was there, no doubt about it. He knew she would come back.

"Hey Jackie," he said.

_I've been waiting so long _

_To be where I'm going_

_In the sunshine of you love. _

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The random italics in the first half of the story are lyrics from the song 'Meet Me At My Window.' The ones at the end are from 'Sunshine of Your Love' by Cream. Review and I'll update faster!!! 


	3. You Could Use Someone to Save

CHAPTER 3

Jackie laughed with Hyde, harder than she could remember laughing in a long time. She could hardly see him through the smoke that filled the room. Hyde took the joint that hung loosely from her fingers to keep it from falling to the ground, simultaneously wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"So we're all on a farm!" he said loudly choking on laughter. Jackie laughed even harder, so hard she toppled off the chair she had been sitting on. Hyde joined her on the floor, plopping onto the cement from his cot.

"And it's all the governments fault," Jackie said slowly, mesmerized by the patterns the smoke was making above her head.

"Exactly! Man," Hyde said in awe, staring at her, "you are so much more in tune with what's going on in the government than anyone I know. It's crazy, you know, 'cause you're, like…a cheerleader." He started laughing again. "Isn't that hilarious?"

And inexplicably, they were back in a state of uncontrollable laughter, hidden in their smoke-filled world while the ones they loved continued to move, and live, at a distance from them.

x

x

"Steven, would it kill you to just put a shirt on?"

"It might. And besides, it's fun to watch you squirm over my muscled body, wishing so desperately you could touch it."

"Okay, now you're starting to sound just like Michael."

"Hey. That wasn't cool, Jackie. Take it back."

"No."

"Take it back now, or else."

"Oooh, or else what? You're gonna hold out on me? You're gonna make me start paying for some of it?"

"No, _that_ would be too much effort. Especially when I can just do this."

And without warning he jumped on top of her petite body, stretched out on his cot, and pinned her arms above her head with one hand. With the other, he began to tickle her, refusing to stop no matter how much she squirmed.

"Steven quit it! Hahaha! No seriously I can't breath, haha, no, stop. Okay okay I take it back! I take it back!" she finally screamed, still breathing hard. Hyde smiled victoriously. Jackie stared up at him until he finally noticed the awkward position they were still in. Abruptly, he jumped off of her and turned away from the cot. She propped herself onto her elbows, amused by his embarrassment.

"Steven?" she asked in her spoiled little girl voice, the one she knew he hated.

_Come on, you could change me_

"What?" he said gruffly, puling open a drawer in his dresser and grabbing a t-shirt. Jackie got off the cot and walked up to him happily.

"Thanks for the film," she said and kissed him on the cheek. He smirked slightly.

"No problem."

Jackie picked up her coat and flounced out of the basement.

Jackie walked quickly, rubbing her arms to keep warm. She was still a little stoned, which made her see funny shapes in the mist that she exhaled. She had always loved the cold. For her, it was never cold enough unless you could see your own breath. As wonderful as summer could be, there was just something exciting about the snow, something she couldn't explain. And now, thanks to Steven, she could be even happier about the cold and how visible her breath was, since it kept her amused until she reached her house.

Jackie sighed as she unlocked the front door. Drugs had never been something she wanted to get into. She was a cheerleader after all. Cheerleaders just didn't _do_ drugs, it was an unwritten law. You couldn't be peppy and spirited when you were high. But the way things had been going for her lately, it seemed only natural for her to join 'circle time' in the basement. Things with Michael hadn't been the same since he kissed stupid Pam Macey behind the gym. She hadn't even felt like she had a boyfriend anymore. And now, she officially didn't. She was alone for real now. Even when she was with Donna, Jackie still felt alone. She couldn't shake the feeling.

Except when she was with Steven.

It wasn't that when she was with him she wasn't lonely. It was that he made her feel like it was okay for her to _be _alone. And that was a new feeling for Jackie Burkhart. Her whole life she felt like she needed to be surrounded by people, that only then was she complete. But when it was just the two of them, in his dingy room or her pink one, cocooned in smoke, loneliness wasn't a burden anymore. It was a relief.

Jackie climbed the stairs slowly. She felt her high wearing off. It never lasted long once she left Steven. Maybe because he was the only one she would do it with. God knows what people would say at school if they knew. 'Look at Jackie, she's lighting up with that burnout Hyde now, did you hear? She's probably sleeping with him too, that's the only way he would give her any of his stash.' Jackie stepped into her room without bothering to turn the lights on. She just took four long steps and fell forward where her bed was waiting for her.

x

x

Hyde sprayed the air freshener around his room until it smelled like a pine forest, instead of the permanent two-person circle it was turning into. He hadn't really done drugs this regularly until Jackie had decided she wanted in on the fun, too. He shook his head. That little sophomore had some serious issues. No wonder she was desperate enough to turn to him to help her forget. He sighed and lay back on his bed. He pulled the pillow out from under his head and pressed it against his face, breathing deeply. No matter how many joints they smoked that stunk up the room, her scent still clung to his pillow, stubbornly refusing to leave. Not that he minded that much. She did smell good, after all.

_You could steal me_

Hyde didn't know what it was, but there was something about her. Something that made him want to save her. Not that he would ever tell her that, because she would just turn it into some romance novel hero thing. But still. Most of the time she couldn't remember what they talked about when they hung out (she wasn't as used to the stuff as he was). She probably didn't even realize what she was saying. But he remembered. He remembered everything she let slip about her parents and her so-called friends. One night she had spent an hour crying that she hadn't seen her mom in over a year and ten minutes later she was cracking up at an Oreo. He couldn't believe the way she was being treated. It was just as bad as the way his parents had treated him, if not worse. But when they weren't high, when they were just bitchy Jackie and stoner Hyde with all of their friends, nobody knew. And it killed him that she was hiding it from everyone. It made him think that maybe they weren't so different after all. Because they both hid behind carefully constructed walls.

The only thing he couldn't figure out, was why the walls came down when they were alone. Together.

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You people need to get your minds out of the gutter. Every single one of you were all "Ooh, they're having an affair!" There is more to life than sex, you know! Lol. But I still love you all. The next chapter will explain how Jackie and Hyde got into their little 'film' ritual, in case anyone was wondering. Once again, random italic lines are from 'Meet Me At My Window.' Which is a very addicting song. 

Review!!!!!!


	4. Someone Like Me

Thanks for the reviews!!!! You guys are so sweet. I love all of you. I hope you like this chapter!!

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CHAPTER 4

Hyde was in the Forman kitchen, happily placing his last batch of 'special' brownies in the oven when the devil in cheerleader form walked through the sliding door. He immediately rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be off frenching Fez right about now?"

"Haha, very funny Hyde. How's your little bake sale going?"

"Pretty damn good, actually."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me. Who can resist you in those oven mitts?"

Hyde glared at the petite girl in front of him and yanked the (quite hideous) orange and green striped mitts off. What the hell was she doing burning him? And why wasn't she off being sickeningly lovey-dovey with Kelso?

"If you haven't dumped him for Fez, shouldn't you be off necking with Kelso by now?"

"No. The idiot won't talk to me."

Hyde snorted. Jackie swatted him.

"It's not funny."

"It's a little funny."

"God, I forgave him in, like, a second after he kissed stupid Pam Macey. We're even now. I don't get why he doesn't see that."

"Oh, you don't get it?" Hyde said, turning the timer on. "You spend more time with him than anyone and you still don't realize just how stupid he is? That's really pathetic, Jackie. Even for you."

"Shut up, Hyde. Just because he isn't the smartest person in the world-"

"Understatement of the year," he muttered under his breath.

"-doesn't mean that he doesn't get the concept of balance. He kissed the slut, I kissed the foreigner, we're even. Neither one of us can hold anything over the other one's head."

Hyde looked at her from behind his sunglasses. She really didn't have a clue about Laurie. He opened his mouth, about to reveal to her that she _did_ have something to hold over him, something huge, but he stopped. It wasn't his place. And she wouldn't believe him anyway. It's not like they were friends or anything. Not even close.

"And I didn't really kiss Fez, he kissed me. I just sort of got caught up in it because it was nice to have someone fawning over me again. Michael doesn't even care about me anymore. He always just comes over and we make out until I get sick of him begging me to 'do it' and we, you know, do it. Then he leaves."

Hyde frowned. "Jackie. I appreciate that extra special glimpse you gave me of your life- well, that's not true. Look. I can't control what comes out of your mouth, although sometimes I find myself wishing desperately that I could, but could you please restrain yourself from telling me about yours and Kelso's sex life? It's bad enough to have to listen to Forman go on and on about his lack of one, and Fez with his perverted 'needs.' I really don't need the image of you and one of my oldest friends going at it," he finished with a slight shudder.

"Well, it's not something I want to think about either! I just lay there, he does his thing for five minutes and it's over. Really not that exciting," Jackie said, not noticing the way Hyde was staring at her.

"Seriously?" he asked. She glanced up at him, confused.

"What?"

"He really sucks in bed?" Jackie nodded. Hyde smiled so big, anyone that happened to walk in at that moment would have thought he was on drugs. "That is the single, greatest thing I have ever heard in my entire life. Thank you, Jackie," he said sincerely, holding her shoulders so she would look him in the eye and know how much she wasn't annoying him at that moment. She gave him a small smile.

"Your welcome."

Hyde let go of her and shook his head, still grinning like an idiot. Suddenly, he got an idea.

"Hey," he said to Jackie, "have you ever tried my brownies?"

x

x

"And then my mom took some money from my dad's bank account and ran off to Bermuda with the pool boy. That was a year ago and I haven't seen her since. Isn't that hysterical?"

Hyde watched the incredibly stoned Jackie laugh her head off at her own abandonment. He was too shocked to do or say anything. This was definitely _not _what he had been expecting her to say. If that was what life was like for her, then he thought she deserved a medal or something for keeping quiet about it for so long. He knew that he had, if not complained, at least mentioned his mother's treatment. Jackie made everyone think that she had the perfect, fairy-tale life.

Hyde didn't think watching the effects of his brownies on the girl would make him feel like this. He had just taken a bite from one from the batch he baked for himself and handed the plate to Jackie, ready for some free entertainment. But she didn't sing and dance to some disco song. She didn't get the wide-eyed, totally gone look on her face that most people had in the circle. She wound up spilling her life story to him, this guy who was hardly more than a stranger to her. And the story he heard would have broken his heart if he hadn't hid it away so long ago.

_I will wait for you there_

_I will talk to you, no _

_When there's, no one around_

Maybe she was more than what she showed everyone. Maybe she put up walls too. Maybe she was

_Someone like me._

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REVIEW!!!!!!! You know you want to ; ) 


	5. Someone Who's Not Brave

I'm so proud of myself for updating so quickly. Everyone who reviewed, you're awesome. The ones who are reading but not reviewing, what the hell man? Reviews are chocolate brownies, I can't get enough of them. Enjoy the new chapter!!!

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CHAPTER 5 

Hyde winced at the sound of Jackie's high heeled boots banging the back of the washing machine. He pretended not to care, that she wasn't getting to him, and continued to fold his many faded t-shirts, fresh out of the dryer. He brought one up to his face and breathed in, still not quite used to the effects of dryer sheets. She was getting over Kelso nicely, not even crying. Although he wasn't sure if that was a good thing, because it meant she could burst into tears at any moment. Hyde had never been good with tears.

"So, what do you think?" Jackie asked him hopefully. He hadn't even realized she'd been talking. Her boots were so distracting. Shiny, black and leather. Her whole outfit was distracting, really. The way that long necklace was swinging over her-

"Steven? I asked you a question," she said, clearly annoyed. And oblivious to the fact that Hyde had been checking her out in a pretty obvious way. Accidentally, of course. Not in a _romantic _way or anything. She was hot, he was seventeen, no further explanation necessary.

"Sorry, didn't hear you. I was too busy trying to ignore your extremely long and annoying rant about nothing." Jackie huffed and crossed her arms.

"Hair conditioner is hardly nothing, Steven. There is way too much frizziness in the world as it is. If we didn't-"

"Yeah, yeah I know. Hair care is the secret to a happy life, you've mentioned it before. What were you asking me?"

"I asked if you wanted to go to the mall with me today."

"Uh…no."

"But Steven-"

"No Jackie. I am _not_ going to the mall with you. The mall is the government's way of brainwashing today's youth-"

"And turning them into a clone army for their own personal gain. Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before. Now, let's go."

"I'm sorry, but there's _no way_ I'll ever go to the mall with you."

"Oh, so you'll get high with me and pretend we're friends in secret, but you wouldn't want to let anyone else know I'm more to you than just your friend's bitchy ex, right?" Jackie said with a small smirk. Hyde glared at her. She sighed. "Ok, we can go to Sizzler after." His face didn't change. "Five different colors of Jell-o," she said temptingly in a sing-song voice. He didn't budge and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll buy."

Hyde nodded after a moment. "You've been through a rough time. Let's go."

Jackie happily hopped off the washing machine and they walked to the door. Hyde stiffened when Jackie reached across him to grab her coat. He secretly hoped that she brushed her fingers across his chest like that on purpose, then he pushed the thought away.

_Someone who's not brave_

x

x

"Ooh, what about these? They are _so_ adorable. Don't you think?" The slim girl turned to her companion and waited for him to give his opinion.

He grunted.

"Come on, Steven. you said you would be in a good mood while we were here and helping me shop is a major part of that."

"Hold on. I never said I would be in a good mood. In fact, I explicitly warned you that I would be in a crappy mood whether you liked it or not."

"That is not the attitude you can have when you're at the mall. It taints your purchases with unhappiness."

"What a coincidence. I _am_ unhappy! Isn't life crazy like that?"

"Steven, the sarcasm isn't helping with your mood. You need to lighten up!"

"How about instead, we light up in a dressing room? That might make this a little more tolerable." Jackie gaped at him with her mouth open. "What?"

"You can't do that here, are you crazy?" she hissed, slapping him on the arm. "This is the _mall_," she said, as though that explained everything.

"So?"

"So, you can't do, that at the mall. It's not a place of illegal things."

"Well then, let's make it one."

"Steven?" Jackie asked hesitantly. "Steven, what are you doing?"

Quietly, casually, Hyde walked across the store to the men's section. Hardly glancing around the store, he grabbed a pair of boots off of a display table. Completely ignoring Jackie's high-pitched voice telling him to put them back, he took one of her more empty bags and stuffed the boots inside.

"Let's go, this store's lame," he said coolly, as though he hadn't just shoplifted new boots. Jackie was too shocked to say anything as he led her out of the store. Not because he had stolen something. He did that every day. She was surprised that she had let it happen. And surprised that she didn't care as much as she should have. The few times she had shoplifted something small (a lipstick, or some hair clips) she was always so worried she would get caught. But now, she felt safe.

Because he was with her.

_You'll offer me protection _

x

x

"Those boots look really nice on you," Jackie said as they got into her car after eating at Sizzler.

"I know. Everything looks better when you got it by undermining authority," he replied with a shrug.

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?" she asked.

"Anywhere but the mall."

"Fine. Oh, I know!"

"And roller disco," Hyde added. Jackie's face fell.

"Fine, no roller disco. Let's go to a movie."

"As long as you don't end up making out with Fez again."

"Ok, we were _so_ not making out and how many times do I have to tell you it's not my fault I'm irresistible."

"Why aren't you upset about Kelso?" Hyde asked suddenly, making Jackie forget all about horny foreigners.

"What do you mean?"

"The last two times you guys broke up you spent days crying and pinning over him. What's different now?"

Jackie stared out the windshield at the parking lot. She had no idea what to say for probably the first time in her life. He was always making her think like that, making it hard for her to answer his questions. And she liked it.

"I don't really know," she admitted. "I was so sure I loved him, so sure I needed him to survive but now… It's easier to be without him. He was just a burden. He made me feel trapped, like I didn't have any choice but to be with him. Which really sucks. I mean, I like having choices. Which is why I go shopping so much, I like being able to chose. I like having control over my own life. Michael always had to be my first priority, that's what my mom always said. 'Make sure your man is happy. That's you job.'" Jackie laughed bitterly. "That's one of the last things she said to me before she left. I guess I took it to heart."

Hyde knew he should respond, but he didn't know how to. Finally, he awkwardly patted her hand.

"You can be pretty cool Jackie," he said. She smiled at him.

"Thank you Steven."

x

x

Hyde came down the stairs to the basement with two Cokes in his hands. Jackie was standing in front of Fez and Kelso, who had a guitar in his hands.

"Hey. What's up?" he said and sat down in his chair. Jackie looked at him.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Thank you, Steven, for tonight. I had a great time," she said, leaning down to grab her coat. She surprised Hyde by kissing him on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she walked passed their friends and out the door.

"UH!!" Kelso shouted in disbelief.

"Isn't she nice?" Hyde said with a smile. "Hey, fellas, you like my new boots?"

_Someone who's not free_

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Review, review, review!!!! 


	6. On the Cheek

A certain Zenkindoflove asked for some more detail about the little kiss-on-the-cheek moment at the end of the last chapter, so this is for you! Everyone who is reviewing, you're so awesome. You don't even know how much I love you guys. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 6

_Why did I kiss him, why did I kiss him, why did I kiss him, why do I want to kiss him again? And again, and again, and again_

Jackie's mind was racing as she walked home. All she could think about was Steven, Steven and nothing else. As much as she tried, he would not leave her mind. And neither would the kiss.

It was just on the cheek, it really didn't mean anything. Friends kiss on the cheek all the time. It's not something she should be freaking out about. And yet she was. Because this was in no way a 'just friends' kiss. It had almost been instinct, the way their faces were so close together. She had to do it. She _had_ to, there was no other way to explain it. Jackie had never felt anything like it before, that strange magnetism that had drawn her to Steven. She never felt it with Michael. He had always made the first move, had always kissed her first and let her kiss him back. She had never felt as though if she didn't kiss him, life wouldn't be worth living.

She felt that with Steven. That's why she kissed him. He had been so close to her, she could feel his breath on her neck. And suddenly, kissing him had become a necessity. There was no way to stop it because they were so close and he smelled so good and his skin looked so smooth so she just leaned over and-

Jackie stopped walking and squeezed her eyes shut, desperate to get the tingly-all-over feeling out of her body, because there was absolutely no way he was feeling it too. It was just a kiss on the cheek, why was it doing this to her? No other kiss she'd ever had with anyone had made her feel like this.

And his lips hadn't even touched hers.

x

x

"Hyde, what the hell is wrong with your face?" Eric asked as his friend rubbed his cheek for what seemed to be the millionth time in the past three minutes. Hyde glared at him and let his hand drop to his side.

"I think that question is more appropriate for you, Forman."

"BURN!" Kelso shouted from the couch, his lips stained purple from the popsicle in his hand. Fez smiled, looking back and forth among his friends.

"I agree. Eric, you have been burned," he said happily, patting Eric on the shoulder. He shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Oh, now he's going all Hyde on us. BURN!" Kelso laughed at his own random statement. Everyone else gave him a look he received a lot; one that seemed to ask how many times he had been dropped on the head as a baby.

"Kelso, you moron, that doesn't even make any sense," Hyde said, rolling his eyes. Unwilling to back down, the taller boy spoke up again.

"Yeah? Well your mom didn't make sense last night either. But don't worry, I straightened her out. BURN!" he shouted yet again, grinning victoriously.

"I agree. Hyde, you have been burned," Fez said. But when he looked at his curly haired friend, his smile fell. "Uh-oh, Miss Kitty said she ran out of eye patches."

Hyde leaned over and frogged Kelso in the arm twice. He winced and scooted closer to Eric on the couch.

"Damn, Hyde, it was just a joke, God."

"Whatever, man. I'm bored. What do you guys wanna do?"

Eric, Fez, and Kelso stared blankly into space. Hyde glared at all of them.

"Well, have fun with that. I'll be in my room if you need me."

Hyde got up and walked past his moronic friends to his room, rubbing his cheek again without realizing it. He put on the first record his fingers touched and collapsed onto his sorry excuse for a bed. What was wrong with him? He'd been kissed before, many times as a matter of fact. He'd had more than his fair share of sex. He was very comfortable with all things sexual. So why did this one girl, this one kiss feel like the first?

He knew it was going to happen. When she leaned over him to reach her jacket, the look in her eyes, the smile on her lips gave it all away. But he didn't do anything. _Why_ didn't he do anything? He was not the kind of guy that knew he was about to be kissed by a hot girl and just sat there, waiting for it. The thing Hyde had been feeling when he felt her lips pressed against his skin seemed an awful lot like nervousness. And people with zen didn't get nervous. But he was.

All because of her.

Hyde took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, desperate to get her out of his head. But she was as stubborn in his fantasies as she was in real life. Wait, did he say fantasies? No, no. He was definitely _not_ fantasizing about her. Of course not. He just couldn't think of another word. And yet, whatever that word he meant to say was, it was turning into a fantasy the more he thought about Jackie's kiss. So simple, so short, and somehow, the only kiss he'd ever had that left him desperate for more.

Suddenly, their friendship seemed a _lot_ more complicated.


	7. Someone Who's Not Free

Oops, forgot to mention earlier that I own nothing, blah blah blah. I took a lot of lines from the episode 'Cat Fight Club' so if you recognize them, they're not mine. But I also adjusted some of them to fit the chapter better. Reviewers, you have no idea how much you mean to me. I couldn't do this without your support. Thank you so much! Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 7

Jackie sat down heavily on the couch, inconspicuously glancing at the motionless, curly haired man sitting in his chair. When he didn't look over at her, she sighed loudly. Hyde still didn't move. With a frown, she glanced at him again, and exhaled louder. She smiled when his hand clenched into a fist. _One more_ she thought and gave a third, and this time slightly pathetic, sigh.

"Shut up, Jackie," Hyde said gruffly. Jackie's smile broadened. _I win._

"But Steven-"

"No. I'm not doing whatever it is you want me to do. I'm gonna sit here and watch this 'Hollywood Squares' marathon for the rest of the day and you can either be quiet and watch or get out."

"But Steven, I'm bored," she said with a pout.

"Then watch 'Hollywood Squares'!"

"I hate that show. I wanna _do_ something. I'm sick of TV."

"Well then go do something and quit complaining to me!"

"I wanted to hang out with Donna, but she's to busy reading or something stupid like that. And last week you said you would do something with me."

"And the next day, you went on a date with Fez, then spent the rest of the week ignoring me. So, now I'm not really in the mood to hang out with you."

"Well, he asked me, what else was I supposed to do? And I wasn't ignoring you, I was busy."

Hyde snorted. "Doing what? The mall is only open for so many hours, Jackie."

She rolled her eyes. "Not shopping, I had cheerleading practice. Homecoming is in two weeks, Steven. That doesn't give us a lot of time to work on our new routine. _And_ I asked if you wanted to do something on Sunday, and you said you were busy. So, _you're_ the one that's been doing the ignoring, not me," she said triumphantly.

"Hey, Mrs. Forman made us all go to church on Sunday, you know that."

"She didn't make you. Fez told me you two spent the entire day setting new pinball records at the Hub."

Hyde groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine, Jackie! What the hell do you wanna do?"

She smiled. "Let's play Monopoly!" she squealed happily. Hyde glared at her.

_You could use someone to save_

"With two people?" he said with a smirk.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

The fighting pair in the basement looked up as Eric, followed by Fez, came down the stairs. Jackie smirked back at Hyde. He glared at his friends.

"What?" Eric asked, surprised by the dirty look he was receiving.

"Nothing. Forman, get your secret stash out of the Monopoly bored, we're playing."

Eric immediately blushed. "Wha- I don't have anything in the Monopoly game, I, I," he gave up and sighed. "Damnit."

x

x

"Ooh! Now I've got Park Place and Boardwalk. This game is just like life! I am the richest of all," Jackie said happily, sorting her money.

"Jackie I've got nine hundred and seventy dollars here, it's all yours if you'll just GO AWAY!" Eric shouted.

"Relax Forman. It's better then having your sister down here. She's like a big cancerous tumor. And Jackie, she's like a tiny benign cyst." Hyde said, looking at her thoughtfully. She smiled at him and touched her chest.

"Thank you Hyde!" She handed him some Monopoly money. "Here, buy yourself a hotel."

Fez watched the exchange angrily. "Why are you giving him money, I'm the one in jail, plus, Hyde punched me in the arm. Why can't we start over?"

Hyde glared at his foreign friend. "Because!" he shouted and punched Fez in the arm.

"Aiiiii."

"And don't try tipping over the board again either!"

The door to the driveway suddenly burst open and Laurie and Kelso came stumbling into the basement.

"Kelso, next time we go hiking, bring a blanket. I think I have a twig in my shorts."

"What a coincidence, so does Michael," Jackie said as she rolled the dice. Hyde smiled proudly at her.

"Nice," he said.

Kelso looked at Jackie strangely before shrugging. "Okay, okay, nice burn Jackie."

"Oh, it wasn't meant to be a burn. It's just a fact," the cheerleader said casually. Laurie laughed with Hyde. Kelso stared at her in shock.

"Laurie! What the hell!" he shouted, flailing his arms. She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Kelso, it's funny. And a little true," she said with her usual sensitivity (in other words, none).

"UH! It _so_ isn't!" Kelso shouted before stomping back up the stairs. Laurie chuckled again and went after him.

"Kelso, you're still coming to dinner tonight, right? Daddy really wants you to," she called out.

The four in the basement continued to laugh at their friend's humiliation, but it was cut short by the Monopoly board flying through the air.

"Oops," Fez said guiltily. But the shameful look was soon replaced with fear when Hyde stood up. Jackie and Eric watched as the two boys ran around the basement.

"I love Monopoly," Jackie said with a smile.

"Me too." The two of them sat back and enjoyed their free entertainment.

x

x

Hyde exhaled, blowing out a stream of smoke slowly. He watched it hover around him, twirling and swirling in constantly-changing patterns. Jackie giggled next to him.

"Mine looks like a unicorn," she said dreamily, lazily reaching her hand up to wave through the smoke.

"You say that every time," Hyde said, as mesmerized by it as she was.

"That's because it's true every time. My smoke always looks like a unicorn." She giggled. "Yours looks like a giraffe." They were completely silent for a moment before the laughter came. And it continued to come, not leaving until tears were streaming down their faces, not until they were gasping for air.

When they finally calmed down, Hyde turned onto his side and propped himself onto his elbow, looking at the person he was sharing his bed with. She was so high, it was adorable. Her eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anything. He waved his hand back and forth in front of her face, staring with wide eyes at her smile. She giggled again.

"Stop it, Steven, I can't see," Jackie said swatting his arm. Hyde lay back down and stared at the ceiling, trying so hard to see what she was seeing.

She giggled again.

Hyde glared at her, although it wasn't a real glare. He was too stoned to really be mad. He just wanted to be able to laugh at what she was laughing at. He wanted them to share something other than friends and a kiss he still couldn't get off his mind. He wanted to see what she saw. Frowning, Hyde leaned over her and took the joint that hung from the limp fingers of her left hand. Maybe it was something in this particular joint, he figured. Maybe there was something special in hers that didn't get into his. He took a long drag with his eyes closed, imagining her taste was in his mouth and lungs as well as the smoke. He opened his eyes and let his breath go.

_You could turn all the lights on_

Neither of them knew what they were seeing. All they knew was that they were together. And that was enough.

_And show me the real me_

x

x

"So, why aren't you more upset about Kelso and Laurie?" Donna asked Jackie, who was currently giving her a facial. She sighed impatiently.

"Because Laurie is a whore and Michael is a man-whore. Their a perfect fit," Jackie said, applying the last of the light green cream to Donna's face. "Stop twitching or I won't be able to get this on smoothly.

"Sorry. But I still don't get it. The first time you guys broke up you cried for hours and screamed how much you hated Pam Macey. You wouldn't shut up unless you were throwing yourself at Hyde. And the last time you broke up, you freaked out about Kelso taking her to the prom and you had to get back at him by, by…" the redhead trailed off and stared at Jackie as though she'd never seen her before. "Jackie," she began, "you and Hyde aren't, aren't…you know…are you?" Jackie smacked Donna on the back of the head.

"Ew! No Donna, I am not doing Hyde to get over Michael. We hate each other, remember?"

"Yeah, I guess," Donna said uncertainly.

"And I wasn't throwing myself at him that time at my cabin. I just wanted some comfort. God, do you always have to make me sound like a whore?"

"Okay, you're right. I'm sorry. But that still doesn't explain how you're so okay with Kelso moving on from you that fast."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Michael has the attention span of a fruit fly, I'm not surprised he's dating already. I _am_ surprised that Laurie is calling him her boyfriend. I think herpes-carrier would be a more appropriate title."

"That's a good point, and I'm very glad you're healing so quickly, but you do remember that Laurie's not just his new girlfriend–or hooker, whatever –she's also the girl he cheated on you with," Donna said, watching her friend closely. Jackie's face hardened.

"I know," she said stiffly.

"So, maybe it's not such a great idea to hold all that anger at her in like this. You've seen what that can do to people." She indicated to Hyde in a picture of the whole gang on her dresser. Jackie glared at her.

"I'm not holding any anger in," she said, clenching her fists.

"Uh-huh," Donna said, raising her eyebrows. Or, trying to since the mask making any facial movement extremely difficult. "So, you don't care that Kelso chose her over you, which basically says that he thinks you're not as good a girlfriend as she is."

Jackie was now clenching and unclenching her fist. Donna waited, bracing herself for the wrath of Jackie.

"I HATE THAT SLUT!" she finally screamed. "Who the _hell_ does she think she is, stealing my boyfriend like that!? God, I want to _kill _her!"

"Hey, Donna, do you have a curling iron I can borrow?"

The girls spun around and saw the very slut they were speaking of in the doorway. Donna glanced at the still fuming Jackie, then back at Laurie. She smiled weakly.

"Sorry, no."

Laurie sighed. "It's fine." Suddenly, she smiled wickedly at Jackie. "I just wanted it so I could look good for Kelso. He's coming over for dinner tonight." Her smile grew when Jackie glared at her. "Oh well. He thinks I look good anyway. _Even_ when I have a cold I caught skinny dipping at the reservoir. See ya!" She strolled out of the room.

"GO TO HELL YOU BIG BLONDE WHORE!" Jackie shouted after her, before grabbing Donna by the shoulders.

"We should kill her, Donna. You and me, it can be a little bonding thing. What do you think?" Jackie said forcefully. Donna backed away.

"Um, I think you need to take your little yellow pill, Jackie."

"This is all your fault, you know! I was fine until you said all that crap about me not being as good as _Laurie_," she spat. "Now, I'm gonna be arrested for murder and it's all your fault!" Jackie spun on her heel and stomped out of the room.

x

x

"Laurie makes me SO mad! I just wanna rip out her hair, show it to her and hope it doesn't grow back. I hate her." Jackie stated as she paced up and down the basement. Hyde sighed and shook his head.

"Jackie, that's what she wants. She feeds on your anger man, it only makes her stronger," he said. The dark-haired girl threw her hands up in the air.

"Well then what am I supposed to do?"

Hyde paused for dramatic effect before telling her the secret to his success. "If you really want to get under her skin, you have to be zen."

"Zen? Okay, you can't just make up words Steven."

"No, man, zen. At peace, aloof... zen." He smiled when Jackie looked at him like he was a genius.

"Oh. Well, will you teach me how to be zen?" she asked hopefully.

"Jackie. This isn't something you can take lightly. Zen is an art form. If you want to master it, you have to devote yourself to my teachings one hundred percent. Can you do that?" he asked sternly. Jackie looked a little bemused.

"Um…I think so."

"Okay. First- finish polishing my boots."

Jackie snorted. "Uh, no."

"Jackie, this is not a great way to start off your lessons. If you want to achieve zen, you need to follow my instructions without question."

She laughed. "Yeah, right. And you'll go roller discoing with me this weekend," she said sarcastically.

Hyde glared at her. Jackie stared right back. _Wow _she thought. _His eyes are really blue._

_Wow _Hyde thought. _Are her eyes different colors?_

Finally, he nodded. "You'll make a fine student, grasshopper." She smiled.

"Thank you."

x

x

Hyde pretended not to be staring at Jackie as she read her Cosmo. After half an hour, she finally got the hang of 'whatever' and 'that's cool.' And she had her first complete circle. He smiled at her relaxed expression. Zen worked on her.

Everyone glanced up when Laurie came down the stairs. She smirked at Jackie.

"Oh you again. What happened, did they let out kindergarten early today?" she said haughtily. Jackie kept reading.

"Whatever."

"What, you're not gonna throw a hissy fit and tell me to go to hell again?"

"That's cool."

"Oh, you're little miss cool now huh. Well, if you were really as cool as you want people to think you are, you would have been able to hold on to your one true love. But you lost him to me. Oh well. You seem to like spending time with the dirty orphan boy. So sorry you had to trade down," Laurie said with a sneer.

Which was wiped off her face when Jackie came flying over the couch to tackle her.

x

x

After a major ass-kicking and another circle, Jackie and Hyde were alone in the basement again. They were sitting Indian style on the couch, across from each other.

"I still can't believe you did that to her," Hyde said in awe. "She was crying, man!"

Jackie smiled. "I know. I'm amazing."

"Man, I can't imagine what you would have done to Kelso if he'd been down here. _That_ would have been fun to watch."

"You know, I didn't do that to Laurie because of what she said about me and Michael. That didn't make me mad at all." Hyde looked at her, confused. Jackie continued with her head down. "I did it because of what she said about you." She glanced up at him when he didn't say anything. He looked bewildered. "What?" she asked.

"It's just…" he stopped and took a deep breath. "No one's ever, I dunno, defended me before. I never thought you would be the first person to."

_You could even heal me_

"Steven…" she whispered. Their knees were touching. She moved her hands slightly so that their fingertips touched as well. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Blood was rushing to the parts of her body that were in contact with his. Without meaning to, Jackie leaned her head forward, slowly and licked her lips. Hyde lifted his hand up and placed it against her cheek, tangling his fingers in her hair. Jackie's eyes fell shut.

"Well, _that_ was rough," Kelso said loudly, banging his way through the basement. Jackie and Hyde instantly jumped away from each other and sat at opposite ends of the couch. "I swear, for a moment I really thought Red would kill me." He sat down in the lawn chair and looked at the pair on the couch suspiciously. "What were you two doing?"

They glanced at each other, then quickly looked away.

"Nothing."

* * *

Hmm…the plot thickens.

REVIEW!!!


	8. With the Darkness Cometing Down

Yeah, I've got nothing to say. Except it's late, I'm tired so this chapter might suck and if it does, I'm sorry.

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CHAPTER 8 

Jackie paced furiously across her pink bedroom. It had been weeks since the 'almost kiss' with Hyde in the basement and he had been a total ass ever since. He refused to talk to her, he would make excuses to leave whenever they were alone together, and his burns to her were becoming constant entertainment for their friends.

In other words, she was pissed. And that was _not _good news for Hyde.

They had been getting along so great until that one awkward moment. And the moment itself wasn't even that awkward, it was afterwards when stupid Kelso came in and interrupted it that it became uncomfortable. So, naturally, Hyde chose that one uncomfortable moment to leave and then began to avoid her. What an immature little jerk. Jackie finally stopped pacing and fell back onto her bed. _If only Kelso hadn't interrupted us_ she thought. God, Hyde was so hot right then. No! Not hot. Just, nice to look at. Interesting and…oh, who was she kidding, the man was freakin' gorgeous.

"Stupid Michael!" she shouted to her empty house. Jackie rolled onto her stomach and covered her head with her pillow.

x

x

_When there's no one around_

Did she have to do that? Was it really necessary for her to wear those little sundresses every damn day of the week? So what if it was almost summer. Women had fought for years to be treated on an equal level as men, according to Donna. Didn't that include wearing pants? Why the hell didn't this girl own a single pair of jeans? _She does_ Hyde reminded himself. _And all they do is make her legs look about a mile long._ Not that his observations meant anything. Just that she was hot, that's all. He was a growing boy who couldn't help but notice all the hot girls around him.

Like the tiny brunette that just stepped into the basement, making him catch his breath.

Not because he _liked_ her, or anything. She just opened the door so fast it took some air out of the room. Yeah. That's what happened.

"God, I hope you guys are happy. It took all of my best flirtatious pouts to get Ted to give me an advanced copy of the yearbook," Jackie said, clearly annoyed. Kelso stared at her in shock.

"You were flirting with Ted? The freaking yearbook editor? He doesn't even have a cool car!" Kelso shouted in disbelief. Jackie rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, handing the yearbook to Donna.

"Well, Donna here begged me to get one before everyone else and I didn't want to disappoint my best friend." The group stared at her. "Fine, I also wanted to confirm that 1977 is my cutest year ever. But Donna still begged."

"What do you want with the yearbook so bad?" Eric asked, looking at it over her shoulder. She tried to hide her smile.

"No reason," she said.

"Lemme see that," Hyde said. Donna handed it to him eagerly.

"Look! A picture of the pep rally," she said.

"Wow! I'm so excited!" Hyde replied sarcastically. He leaned in closer. "Wait a minute…holy crap, someone in the crowd is mooning the cheerleaders!"

Everyone surrounded Hyde quickly and looked where he was pointing. Kelso grinned widely.

"Awesome, it's a girl butt!" he shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

Eric squinted at the yearbook. "I can't tell who's it is. I wish we had a magnifying glass."

"Oh, here you go," Kelso said, puling one out of his pocket. Everyone stared at him. "I was just playing with some bugs," he said with a shrug.

Eric's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, my God. It's Donna's butt!"

The group turned to stare at Donna, who was laughing hysterically and nodding. The guys shifted their sight to her lower back.

"Donna's glorious rear end is forever in the yearbook," Fez said dreamily. "This is the happiest day of my life!"

Jackie scoffed. "_That's_ why you wanted the yearbook? So we could all see your nasty butt ruining my cheerleading picture? Why couldn't you just take a picture of it at home, like Michael?"

"Because then it wouldn't be funny," Hyde told her condescendingly. "This way, it's like a non-violent protest."

Jackie glared at him. "Well, what's she supposed to be protesting? Pants?"

"God, I hope so," Kelso said, staring at Donna's butt.

Eric slowly sat down on the couch next to Jackie with horrified expression. "My girlfriend's butt is in the yearbook. I can't believe this," he said. Donna rolled her eyes.

"Oh, get over it Eric. It was funny! You need to lighten up."

"No, Donna, I need you to tell me how this happened. Now, you're at the pep-rally, oh and at this point your pants are on…"

Donna smiled. "Right. And then they weren't."

"Donna, mooning isn't something you just do."

"No, it's not something YOU just do, because it's impossible to moon when you have no ass," Hyde said with a snicker. Eric glared at him.

Fez walked to Eric carrying the yearbook. "Here, Eric. Look at Donna's naked butt some more, it will make you feel better."

Eric snatched the book from Fez's hands and stalked up the stairs. Donna followed him, still chuckling.

"I can't wait to see my picture in the yearbook. My first American yearbook," Fez said happily, flipping through the pages.

"Sorry Fez, there aren't any," Jackie said with her usual tact. He stared at her angrily.

"What the hell? So, they don't let foreigners in your yearbook."

"Pretty much," she replied in a bored voice.

"That is it. I am tired of being treated like crap in this country just because of the color of my skin. Whitey is keeping me down and I will not take it any longer!" Fez emphasized his speech by pounding his fist on the arm of the couch. Nobody moved.

"Fezzy, will you get me a popsicle?" Jackie asked.

"What flavor?" he said, immediately striding over to the deep freeze. Hyde and Kelso smirked.

x

x

"And Eric freakin' kicked me out of his room! Can you believe that?" Donna sighed and shook her head, crossing her legs on the front steps of the Forman house. Jackie continued filing her nails next to her. "Jackie!"

She glanced up. "What?"

"Do you mind paying attention to me when I'm talking to you?"

"Look, Donna, you're my best friend and I love you. But I am _so_ sick of you bitching and moaning about what a little girl Eric is. You could probably get anyone you want and you chose him! I warned you about skinny guys so don't come complaining to me when he doesn't turn out to be your dream boyfriend, all right?" Jackie said before going back to her nails. Donna stared at her in confusion.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"We've known each other for a while now, and you should be used to my straightforward approach to things."

"No, you're a bitch, I get that. You've just been so moody for weeks now. Usually when I 'bitch and moan' about Eric you at least agree with me for a little while before you start blaming me for everything and saying that I could do better. And you're filing your nails obsessively."

"I am not, you big goon!"

"Bitch!"

"Goon!"

"Bitch!"

"Goon!"

Donna stared at her friend closely, trying to figure out what was going on. "It's Kelso and Laurie, isn't it?" she asked, sure that she was right. Jackie rolled her eyes.

"No, I don't give a crap about them. It's stupid Steven."

"What?" Donna asked in surprise. Jackie's eyes widened.

"Nothing."

"Since when does Hyde piss you off?"

"He doesn't! Look, I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Jackie, wait!" Donna called after her. But she was already gone.

"Bitch," Donna muttered.

x

x

"And I'm just so mad because he won't talk to me! I don't know if it's because we almost kissed or what but I really need to see him, you know? It's like…I've almost gotten to the point where I feel totally disoriented, right, and it's because I can't be myself anymore. Steven was the only one I could be with to really just let everything go and now he's freaking out about something that didn't even happen! And I'm getting really wound up and stressed and I just need to see him before I explode, Leo!" Jackie grabbed the old hippie by the shoulders and looked him in the eye to show him how desperate she was, when the door to the Photo Hut opened and Hyde walked in.

"Steven! Finally, I've been waiting here forever."

But he completely ignored her. "What is she doing here?" he asked Leo.

"I think she's hitting on me man. But I ain't interested. Tell her I ain't interested and make her go away," Leo said with a frown. Jackie glared at him.

"Hitting on you? I'm not hitting on you, you relic!"

"Hey, name calling is no way to win someone's heart."

"What are you talking about?"

"What are _you_ talking about?"

Jackie threw her hands up into the air. "I don't have time for this." She turned around to face Hyde, but he was already walking out of the small building. "Steven, wait!" she called after him, doing her best to run in her clogs. She finally caught up with him and grabbed his sleeve. "Steven, slow down! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Hyde wrenched his arm away from her grip. "I gotta go, Jackie," he muttered. She stood there and watched him walk away from her. For some reason, she had to fight to keep her eyes dry.

x

x

"What the hell is wrong with you, asshole?" Hyde mumbled to himself as he walked away from the Photo Hut. "Do you really have to make her feel like crap just because you're a coward who won't talk to anyone about anything?" He shook his head and sighed. "As if she hasn't been treated like crap enough already."

_With darkness cometing down_

Hyde walked back to the basement angrily, wishing more than anything that he couldn't feel at all. This girl, this tiny, ninety-five pound, cheerleading, roller-discoing girl was making him crazy and he hated it. Every time he was within fifty feet of her, it was like he completely lost control of himself. She just had to look at him and he was fidgety and edgy and he never knew what to say. Not to mention that, in addition to all of this, he was often dealing with an erection that never seemed to leave. All anyone had to do was mention her and it would come back. Which was _not_ something Hyde liked to deal with. Unless, of course, Jackie herself wanted to deal with it, then maybe-

No! He was _not_ going to have sex with Jackie. More importantly, he didn't _want_ to have sex with her. He just hadn't gotten any in a while. Yeah, he thought as he sat down on his cot. That's why Jackie was making him like this. Hyde was the victim of sex withdrawal. He smiled at the logical conclusion he had come to. He didn't care about Jackie. Of course not. With that decided, Hyde started a circle with Donna and Laurie, trying not to notice the absence of a certain brunette.

x

x

A few hours later, Jackie saw him sitting in the Hub, reading some sort of magazine. She sighed angrily and strode across the street, an evil look covering her delicate features. Dramatically, she pushed the door open and stepped into the restaurant.

"Steven. I need to talk to you," she said in her most serious voice.

"Jackie, please. I'm right in the middle of Smokey and the Band-Aid okay?"

She yanked it away from him. "Well, you're not anymore," she said with a smirk.

Hyde glared at her. "What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem is that you've been acting like an ass towards me for weeks and I'd like to know why!"

"What does it matter? It's not like we're friends." Hyde wished he could take the words back as soon as they left his mouth. The look on her face was one he'd seen before, and he hated that this time, he had caused it. She dropped the magazine back into his lap and walked out the door, reaching for something in her purse on the way out. "Jackie, wait up," he called after her. She didn't stop. Hyde rubbed his eyes in frustration before standing up and following her.

She was walking through an alley with a small, brown paper bag in her hands. She didn't look at him when he started walking next to her.

"Look, Jackie, I'm sorry. I just don't want to deal with the, you know. What happened before," Hyde said with embarrassment.

"Yeah, I figured that out on my own."

"Come on, stop doing this."

Jackie stopped walking and turned around to face him. "Stop doing what, Hyde? Hurting? Well, if you know how I can do that, tell me! I'd be really grateful. How do I make the pain go away? How, when the only thing that made it better was being with you? And now that you've decided you hate me, how should I stop feeling the pain? Do you think this will help?" She held the paper bag out to him with a shaking hand. He reached for it apprehensively. His eyes widened at what was inside.

"Jackie? What the hell are you doing with this stuff?" he asked loudly.

"What is that supposed to mean?

"You shouldn't be doing this, Jackie."

"Oh, so it's okay for me to smoke it with you but the minute I decide to do it by myself, suddenly it's wrong? Just go to hell, Hyde." She started walking again but he grabbed her hands, throwing the bag onto a nearby car.

"That's not what I'm saying! I just wanna know why you didn't talk to me about-oh," he said abruptly, not meeting her accusing eyes.

"About time you realized what an ass you are," she mumbled, blinking rapidly.

Hyde ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, how the hell am I supposed to help? Why do you want to talk to me anyway?"

"Because you listen, because you don't judge me, because you don't try to make me feel better but you do just by being there," Jackie said quietly.

Hyde sighed. "Look, you really shouldn't be friends with someone like me, okay? I'm just a loser, burn-out who lives in my friend's basement because my parents didn't want me."

Jackie was shaking her head. "No, Steven, you're so much more than that. I think you're one of the coolest, sweetest guys I've ever met."

"No you don't!" he shouted suddenly.

"Yes I do!"

"Is there a problem here?" The fighting pair spun around at the sound of another voice. A cop stood before them in front of a police car. Another cop was sitting in the passenger seat, looking out his window suspiciously.

"No sir, officer. There's no problem at all, right Jackie?"

"Uh…of course not!" she said in a high-pitched voice. The cop glanced around and saw the bag on the car. He pointed to it.

"What's this?" he asked. He opened the bag and chuckled. "All right, kids. Who does this belong to?"

"Me." Jackie and Hyde said at the same time. They looked at each other in shock. The cop raised his eyebrows and nodded to the man in the police car. He got out and joined the first cop.

"Hey, don't listen to her, the bag's mine," Hyde said to them. "Shut the hell up Jackie," he whispered to her, squeezing her fingers. She whipped her head around.

"No! He's lying, it's mine, I bought it!" she shouted to the cops.

"Have you ever heard anything like this before, Tom?" the first cop asked.

"Nope," Tom replied with an amused grin. "Well then, you're both under arrest. Turn around."

Jackie and Hyde obeyed and glared at each other while they got handcuffed.

"I don't believe this, I have to cheer tomorrow," Jackie grumbled. Hyde rolled his eyes.

"Oh, boo-hoo, you have to cheer tomorrow," he said sarcastically. "Well, I'm getting arrested and it's your damn fault!"

* * *

Reviews are fabulous!! 


	9. I Could Use Your Saving Now

CHAPTER 9

"Nothing even happened, Steven, I don't know why you're acting like this."

"Maybe not, but if Kelso hadn't come in, we both know _something_ would have happened. And nothing like that is supposed to happen."

"Since when is everything that simple? Your parents are _supposed_ to love you, but some don't. Living in a big mansion full of expensive things is _supposed _to be wonderful, but it's not. And a gorgeous head cheerleader is _supposed _to get the perfect boyfriend, but I didn't. So you just shut up about what's supposed to happen."

Hyde glared at her. "Oh, that's right, make everything about you! God, that's so typical."

"I am _not_ talking about me!" Hyde looked at Jackie skeptically. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, maybe I am. Except for the parent thing, that applies to both of us. But the point is, nothing happened! And even though nothing happened, you're still being an ass!"

"Hey, I-"

"Would you kids shut the hell up back there?" the cop shouted from the driver's seat. The other cop shook his head.

"Seriously," he muttered, taking another bite out of his doughnut.

"Excuse me, you stupid, fat life-ruiners, but we're trying to have a very serious conversation here!" Jackie exclaimed. "So why don't _you_ shut the hell up?" She rolled her eyes at Hyde, who was rubbing his face with his hands.

"Jackie. We just got arrested for possession. This really isn't the time to mouth off to the cops that handcuffed us!" Hyde hissed at her. She narrowed her eyes.

"God, you are so annoying! You'll do anything to avoid talking about your feelings."

"No I wont, because I don't have feelings."

"As much as you'd like people to think that, you do. And I know it, so would you just stop being 'zen' for five freakin' minutes and talk to me?" Jackie asked him, hoping desperately that he would listen to her. Hyde glared at her and crossed his arms. His face was stony and cold before it was replaced by the back of his head. Jackie sighed and stared at her restrained hands resting on her lap. "Okay, fine," she muttered, shifting her body away from him.

"About time you two stop screaming. Dude," the cop said to Hyde, "Just tell your little girlfriend you're sorry and-"

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"I'm not his girlfriend!"

The cop raised his eyebrows at the simultaneous shouts he received. The man in the passenger seat shook his head.

"Damn kids and their drama," he grumbled.

x

x

The angry, stubborn pair sat side by side in the cell block, but only to stay as far away from the unconscious drunk old man in the corner as possible. At least, that was their excuse. They pretended they weren't enjoying every tiny bit of accidental touching they were able to do sitting this close to each other. They pretended every bump and nudge was unintentional, always muttering a slight apology before shifting a bit closer again.

Hyde glanced up when a different, and much younger police officer came up to the cell door and opened it.

"All right, you each get one phone call. Which one of you potheads wants to go first?" he asked in an irritated voice. Hyde glanced at Jackie.

"You wanna go?" he said to her, hoping she would say yes. Anything to stall him from having to call Red. She snorted.

"Like I have anyone to call," she replied nonchalantly. Hyde frowned and waited for her to say more, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Fine, I'll go." He stood up and followed the man down several hallways before they finally reached a payphone.

"Here," he said, handing Hyde a dime. "And hurry up."

Hyde picked the phone up and placed the coin in the slot. He dialed slowly, trying to figure out what he was going to say to the man he thought of as his father. _Hey, I just got arrested for no reason except to help Jackie, who I absolutely **hate**, and she didn't even cooperate. Wanna come bail us out?_

Yeah. That would work. Then they could all hop on the damn Millennium Falcon and move to a mansion on the moon.

"Hello?" a deep voice on the other end said.

"Hey, Red. It's Steven."

"Steven! Where have you been? You missed the funniest damn thing! Eric tried to prove to Donna that he's not a prude, or something, so he mooned everyone in the driveway! It was great, you should have seen Bob's face. Eric tried to run away from him and he kept tripping, 'cause the dumbass still had his pants down! Ha, it was hysterical."

"Pants around the ankles? Oh that's great. Look Red, I gotta talk to you about something. I, uh. I sort got arrested."

"Arrested? For what?"

"Um…possession," Hyde mumbled, half-hoping Red wouldn't understand him.

"For possession of what?"

"Uh, just, you know…pot."

"SON OF A BITCH!"

Hyde winced and held the phone several inches away from his ear. The cop behind him chuckled slightly. Hyde glared at him.

"Look, it wasn't my-"

"I don't believe this! So you called for me to pay your bail? You kids just can't to anything right, can you? If you expect me to come down to the station with a handful of cash and take you home so you can smoke up in my basement, then you are so wrong, you won't even realize you're wrong until a guy named Tank makes you his girlfriend!"

And with that, Red slammed the phone down. Hyde groaned loudly and reluctantly set his phone back on the cradle.

"Damnit," he muttered, turning back to the cop that brought him in.

"Tough luck. Maybe the chick can get her rich daddy to post bail," he said, still sniggering. Hyde glared at him again and they walked back to the cell.

Jackie was on the opposite end of the bench where she had been sitting, leaning as far away as she possibly could from the now awake drunk man who was whispering in her ear. Her face lit up when she saw him, something he thought he could get used to.

_Then maybe if I'm lucky…_

"Steven!" she shouted, jumping up and running to meet him. Her arms were around his neck in a dangerously tight grip before he even stepped into the tiny, gray room. "Please, please get the smelly old man away from me!" she whispered frantically in his ear. Her breath was warm against his cheek. He couldn't help but smile and, hesitantly, he hugged her back.

"Don't worry about it," he whispered back. Reluctantly, she stepped away from him, letting her hands leave his shoulders, letting her fingertips drift along his neck and down his chest. He pretended not to notice how deliberate it was, how dark and mischievous her eyes had become. He smirked at her and stepped towards the old man.

"Hey," Hyde said, nodding to him. The man glared at him.

"What?" he spat.

"Just this." Hyde grabbed the man by the hair and slammed his head against the wall, not hard enough to do serious damage, but enough to knock him out and have him wake up with a massive headache. Jackie smiled at Hyde, a brilliant smile that sent him on a high he'd never experienced before.

"Thanks," she said gratefully. He nodded. "So, what did Red say?"

"He's not coming," Hyde said shortly, sitting back down on the bench. Jackie sighed.

"Okay, well, maybe he just said that because he's angry. I mean, he wouldn't just leave us here." She sat down next to him, hoping she was right.

"He would leave _me_ here. If he hadn't hung up before I mentioned you were here too, we'd probably be gone already."

Jackie sat back thoughtfully. Hyde closed his eyes and tried to figure out a way to fix this. Not just being in jail, but earning the Forman's trust again once he got out. He sighed. Like that would ever happen. Jackie suddenly stood up and walked to the cell door.

"Hey, you. Yes, fat man with the greasy hair, I'm talking to you. I get a phone call, right?" Jackie asked, giving the cop her most threatening look. The fat, greasy-haired man scowled before letting her out and handing her a coin.

"Make it quick," he mumbled. Jackie smiled at Hyde before leaving the cell. He shook his head and chuckled weakly. She would do fine in prison.

x

x

It was at least half an hour before she came back. Not that Hyde had been keeping track of the time because he was worried about her, or anything. Just because that was all there was to do. She was still smiling, which surprised him. He'd expected her to be sulking and complaining about the color scheme and the hideous orange suits. But she sat down next to him happily.

"Red'll be here in thirty minutes," she said.

Hyde stared at her. "Are you serious?"

She nodded. "Why are you so surprised? I've always been his favorite," she said, flipping her hair. Hyde chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess you have." He pretended not to notice that Jackie was still staring at him.

"So?"

He glanced at her. "So what?"

"Are we going to talk now or are you still the emotionless robot you were in the car?"

Hyde sighed and closed his eyes. "Fine, you wanna talk, go ahead."

"I will. But this will work better if you listen and respond."

"I'll consider it," he said dryly.

Jackie rolled her eyes and looked down at her lap where her fingers were tapping her knees nervously. He watched as she opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, shaking her head. It was pretty amusing. He'd never seen this girl in a situation when she couldn't think of anything to say. But, of course, she eventually did.

"Did you want to kiss me?"

Hyde groaned. "Can't we start with something easier, like, what's your favorite color?"

"No, because I know that your favorite color is dark green but I don't know if you wanted to kiss me. And I don't like not knowing."

"Yes," he said. "Why wouldn't I? You're irresistible, you said it yourself." He nudged her playfully, but she remained serious.

"Steven, please try not to joke, okay? For me," she said, sticking out her bottom lip. He tried not to stare at it.

"I'm not joking. Whenever you're around, I always do things I hate just to make you happy. All you have to do is freaking pout and next thing I know, I'm at the mall watching you pick out clogs. It's disgusting, I'm completely disgusted with myself."

Jackie finally cracked a smile. "Yeah, but would it have led to something at all, or just been a cheap thrill?"

"I don't know, Jackie, you seem to be forgetting that nothing actually happened."

"I know nothing happened but I want to know how you feel about me because maybe that will help me figure out how I feel about you."

Hyde stared at her. "What do you mean?"

She sighed impatiently. "I mean, I've never felt like this before. Like I didn't have to pretend to be someone else, like I didn't have to hide, like I was, was…"

"Like you were what?" He asked it quietly. It was crazy that she was saying these things. He never thought he could make anyone feel anything other than annoyance. Hyde continued to watch her, not wanting to miss a second of her confession.

But they both spun around when Red appeared behind her, glowering, yes, but still there. He pointed at Hyde.

"You are damn lucky this girl likes you enough to come clean about this. Anyone else would get the hell out and leave you here to rot," he said angrily. Jackie was smiling slightly, seemingly relieved that they were interrupted. Out of character for her. She had always seemed to love sharing her feelings. And Hyde secretly loved that about her.

"Oh, relax Mr. Forman. You know you could never leave him here," she said playfully. Red glared at her.

"Shut up, you. You're the reason I have to be down here, emptying my pockets to a bunch of no good dumbasses who are too busy refereeing fighting teenagers to catch the actual criminals. Now, hurry the hell up and get in the car. This place smells like Bob's bathroom." He walked away, grumbling, while a cop opened the cell door and let them out. They followed Red to the parking lot in silence, occasionally glancing over at each other, then quickly pretending they hadn't.

x

x

Red screeched to a halt in front of Jackie's house, telling Hyde he could walk the rest of the way home. Jackie and Hyde watched him speed away and turn a corner before walking up to her towering and elegant front door. She pulled a key out of her pocket but didn't move towards the house. Hyde watched her face closely, trying to decipher the expression on her face, when a round, gleaming tear rolled slowly down her cheek.

"I'm so scared of this house," she whispered. Hyde didn't even have a second to think before he wrapped his arms around her, with no hesitation this time. He held her head against his chest and buried his fingers in her hair. She smelled so good. His shirt was getting damp, but the girl in his arms wasn't moving at all. No sobs were escaping her. Just silent, helpless tears. That worried him more than uncontrollable sobs ever would, because these wouldn't go away.

He ran his hand down her arm and took the key from her cold fingers. Without a word, he unlocked the door and led her into the empty house. She kept crying when he lifted her up off the ground, wrapping her legs around his waist. She kept crying when he laid her down on her pink, fluffy bed and covered her with the comforter. Hyde was about to turn and leave when she finally opened her eyes. The look she gave him, that one, lonely look, melted all of his defenses in an instant. He couldn't say no. He was feeling so much more than anyone could possibly feel, just because of her miserable, dejected eyes. Eyes that had experienced too much heartbreak much too soon. So without a sound, he took off his boots and jacket, and crawled into bed next to her. She clung to him like her life depended on it, and for the first time, he didn't think. He didn't try to protect himself, he didn't try to pretend he wasn't feeling. He simply pulled her closer and closed his eyes.

* * *

Hmm…I'm not too sure about this one. Seems a little random. Oh well. I'm really not sure how jail works, never been arrested. I'm too stealthy for the cops to catch me, hehe. Just kidding. So if the whole jail scene was inaccurate, sorry. But not too sorry because I really don't care that much. Hope you liked it!

REVIEW!!!


	10. I Will Wait For You There

Here's another chapter! I'm not so sure about this one, but I didn't like the last one either and all of the reviews were great so maybe I shouldn't trust my judgement. And I'm too tired to fix anything that's wrong with it so if I don't like it, it's my own fault. Either way, I don't think Hyde is going to be too popular in this chapter. Enough with my rambling. Go. Read.

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CHAPTER 10

Jackie yawned. It was too bright, even with her eyes shut. She reached up to rub them, trying to forget the awful dream she'd had. Her and Steven getting arrested and the scary old guy and the gross gray color of the walls. She shuddered and reached her arm across the bed to turn on the lamp on her bedside table.

But instead of the hard wood, her hand hit a broad, warm chest. Her eyes snapped open. She turned over slowly, heart thumping loudly in her ears, expecting the worst. Jackie sighed quietly in relief when she saw Hyde lying next to her with his eyes closed (and fully clothed). Carefully, she crawled out from under the comforter and stepped out of bed. Without a sound, she tiptoed out of her room and closed the door behind her. 'What the hell happened last night,' she thought, trying so hard to remember. 'I called Red, he drove us here and-'

"Oh," she mumbled out loud, a flush rising in her cheeks. Jackie ran her fingers through her hair and tried to force the image from her mind. She couldn't remember ever being more embarrassed than she was now. Did she really cry like that in front of him? Jackie shuddered. 'God, he probably hates me even more now,' she thought with a groan. Her head fell back against the door with a thump.

"Get a grip, Jackie," she muttered under her breath. "He's probably not surprised. He always thought you were an immature little girl who cries about everything." She sighed again and made her way down the wide staircase into the kitchen. The cupboards were all nearly empty and all of the food in the pantry needed to be cooked. She exhaled loudly and settled for a banana and a piece of stale toast.

Jackie hated when her dad went on business trips. He always gave the help a vacation whenever he wasn't there, leaving his daughter to take care of herself. Jack Burkhart seemed to think he should only pay for a cook and a maid if he was there to be served, which he rarely was. Jackie had gotten used to eating small helpings and living in a slightly dusty house over the years, but the loneliness still bothered her. When her mother had still lived with them, she made her father hire a full-time nanny to take care of Jackie. She chewed on the banana thoughtfully, trying to remember that woman's name. It was something pretty, she remembered that much. Something she had loved to say. Jackie shrugged when it didn't come to her. It's not like it mattered much anymore. The woman had died at least eight years ago and by then Pam decided her daughter was old enough to take care of herself. The only thing her parents had ever agreed on was that Jackie didn't need them. And they were both so wrong.

_I could use a hero…_

Hyde opened his eyes with difficulty. He couldn't remember ever being this cozy, this warm. Had his cot suddenly transformed overnight into a cocoon of comfort? His eyes finally focused on the wall he was facing. He squinted in confusion. When did his walls turn pink?

And then everything came back to him. The yelling, the arrest, the bail. And Jackie. Jackie crying into his shoulder on the front porch of her mansion. Jackie's legs wrapped tightly around his waist as he climbed the curved staircase. The feel of her hot tears burning the skin on his neck, even after he laid her down on her bed.

Those eyes.

He'd never seen anything like that before. Complete and utter misery in the eyes of a sixteen year old girl, daughter of the richest man in town. What the hell had happened to her to make her look like that? He didn't even want to know. Because he already knew that the reason he was in that bed, the reason he chose to climb in next to her and hold her against him until her tears stopped, was because what he saw in her eyes was what he felt. What he'd been feeling since his parents had left him. And that scared him more than anything in the world.

Groaning, Hyde swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. After a quick glance around the room, he found his boots and put them on. He looked curiously back at the empty bed. 'When did she wake up?' he wondered. Hyde stepped out of the bright pink room and his jaw dropped.

He had never seen a fancier house in all his life. The clean, white carpet must have been at least three inches thick and there were small chandeliers on every few yards of the ceiling lighting up the hallway. The walls were covered with rich gold colored paint, shimmering slightly in the light. Hyde felt extremely out of place with his wrinkled Rolling Stones t-shirt and scuffed boots. He awkwardly walked down the hall, trying not to stare at the detailed oil paintings hung on the wall. "How did I not see any of this last night?" he muttered to himself.

Hyde jogged down the stairs, taking two at a time. He crossed the marble foyer in awe, wondering how many times his old house could fit into the entryway. But his amazement with the house was interrupted at the sight of its only inhabitant sitting alone at the kitchen counter with a piece of toast in her hand. Hyde inhaled sharply. Had she always been this beautiful?

_You could steal me…_

Jackie spun around when she heard heavy footsteps approach the door. She blushed slightly at the sight of him, still embarrassed by her display the night before. But he didn't look annoyed or angry. He was _smiling_. Small, yes, but a real smile, not his usual sarcastic smirk. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey. Do you want some breakfast?" she asked, gesturing to the half empty bag of bread in front of her.

"No thanks," he said. "What are you doing eating toast, anyway? Shouldn't your gourmet chef be preparing you some fancy omelet-type thing?"

She chuckled. "There's no help when my dad's out of town. And I had a banana earlier."

Hyde frowned. "What do you mean there's no help when you dad's not here? Shouldn't somebody be here with you?"

"You're here."

"No, Jackie, I mean-" but he didn't know what to say. She seemed to think it was completely okay for her to be living by here by herself.

"Look, Steven, I'm used to it, okay? My dad doesn't want to be paying people for taking care of the house when he's not even here," Jackie explained, as though it were the most rational thing in the world. Hyde stared at her like she was crazy, but before he could say anything, she spoke up again. "Hey, I just want to say that I'm, uh, sorry. For last night and everything." She looked at the counter as she spoke, tracing invisible patterns on it with her finger.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for, Jackie." He said those words so softly, so sincerely, Jackie finally glanced up at him.

"I didn't mean to make you-"

"You didn't make me do anything. What did you want me to do, just leave you there? I couldn't do that."

"I don't even know what I was upset about," she said, shaking her head. "Everything just seemed like too much, you know? Like I couldn't handle it."

"Yeah, I know." The honesty in his voice made her smile. How was it that out of all the people in the world, this person, was the one to understand her? Even when she didn't make sense to herself, he still knew what she was trying to say. It amazed her.

Hyde sat down next to her and broke off a corner of Jackie's half-eaten toast. He tossed it into his mouth and ate it before continuing to talk.

"So, you never finished what you were saying yesterday," he said. Jackie looked at him, confused. "In jail, you were asking me how I felt about you and I asked why you wanted to know, so you started talking about how you feel about me and you never finished."

"You were actually listening to me talk? Wait till everyone finds out, they're gonna freak!" Jackie said jokingly. Hyde smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure they will. But when you're not going on and on about stupid things like hair care and this season's fashion, you actually say some pretty interesting things."

Jackie smiled at him. He smiled back, and she suddenly decided to take a risk. "Look, Steven, I don't really know how I feel about you. Whenever we're together, I think I'll die of frustration trying to talk to you, but then you'll say something. Something so simple and perfect that makes me think you really, _really_ know me and it's like everything I ever wanted is dropped in a pile at my feet with a big red ribbon on top. I mean, last night was the most amazing night of my life because I felt whole, just being with you, with your arms around me. And it's completely ridiculous that I feel like this, right? Like I don't ever have to say anything to you because you already know. And the only thing I can say to describe how you make me feel is that, when I'm with you, I'm home." Jackie looked into his eyes, hoping he could hear what she wasn't saying. Hoping he wanted the same thing.

_You could even heal me…_

Hyde was absolutely stunned. Nothing anyone had ever said to him made him feel so much at once. Right now he was confused, ecstatic, annoyed, exhilarated, terrified. He couldn't think. This was too much. 'She shouldn't be saying this,' he thought frantically. 'She shouldn't think of me this way.' He jumped up abruptly.

"Jackie, I'm not the kind of person you want to be with," Hyde said, instinctively putting his zen back in place. "I'll just end up hurting you, or leaving you or something, okay? So just, don't think of me that way anymore." Jackie stood up as well, with fire in her eyes.

"I knew it!" she shouted. "I knew when I told you, you would get scared and run away! God, for once in your life, Steven, could you just tell me how you feel? Could you just let your stupid defenses down and trust me? I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not going to abandon you like your parents did, like _my_ parents did. So would you please, just tell me how you feel?" Her eyes were wide and glistening with unshed tears. Tears she wouldn't cry because she had too much pride. Hyde wanted to open up to her more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life. But that would mean risking too much. Not only himself, but her. Because if she didn't hurt him, he would hurt her. He knew it.

And that scared him more than anything else.

"Jackie, I can't," he said quietly, not looking at her. He heard her take a shaky breath.

"Then you should just go," she replied.

"No, wait, I didn't say I wanted us to stop being friends or anything, I just-"

"I can't be just friends with you anymore. You haven't been just a friend to me for a long time," she whispered. Hyde finally looked at her. He took a step towards her, reaching his hand out tentatively in apology. But she wasn't looking at him anymore. Jackie was staring at something over his shoulder. Her eyes had widened in shock.

"Mom?"

Hyde spun around at the word she had uttered and saw the one and only Pam Burkhart standing in the kitchen doorway, with a wide smile on her face and a suitcase in her hand.

* * *

So...what do you think? Am I just an idiot for not liking it? Am I totally right and should be tortured for letting anyone else read it, it's that terrible? Let me know! 


	11. I Will Talk to You

Sorry about the delay. I wanted to finish The Boys of Summer before I wrote any more of this, but that didn't happen, so I decided to come back to this. What oh what will happen with Pam's return? Read and find out!

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CHAPTER 11

Pam stared around at the marvelous house. How could she have ever chosen to give all of this up? _This_ was living. That little shack in Bermuda was just revolting. Not even Pablo's perfectly toned body could distract this sophisticated woman from the squalid conditions. Pam shook her hair out and crossed the marble entryway to the staircase with her bags when she heard voices in the kitchen. With a frown on her pretty face, she turned around, wondering who could possibly be in her house at this time. Lord knows her husband wasn't around and Jackie couldn't possibly be awake already. She was her mothers daughter, after all, never willing to give up a moment of beauty sleep. Pam smiled slightly, filled with pride in herself for raising such a lovely daughter. That girl knew what her priorities were. At least, she had known a year ago. She'd been dating that charming boy, Mitchell. Or was it Matthew? The tall woman shook her platinum blonde head. It didn't really matter. He was very attractive and he complimented her darling Jackie's looks wonderfully. Pam suddenly gasped. Perhaps it was _him_ she heard in her kitchen. Maybe the two of them had finally proved their love. That would explain the reason for her being awake at such an early hour. With sudden excitement, Pam crossed the room again, her stilettos clacking loudly against the marble. She had been waiting for this for such a long time. Now she and her daughter could bond, talking about sex and love. She could just picture it: her and Jackie giggling on the bed, brushing each other's hair, gossiping about boys. Pam sighed. It would be like she always wanted. She could protect her daughter form finding out that sex was no way to 'prove your love,' if love existed at all. She could keep the girl just the way she wanted her to be. Sweet and innocent, the epitome of perfection.

Which is why it was such a shock to see her daughter talking with such a scruffy, unkempt boy in dirty clothes. The girl didn't even have a stitch of makeup on. Pam wrinkled her nose. She had been away for much too long. But she couldn't help but smile at Jackie's surprise at seeing her mother. Pam gave her a big smile.

"Mom?" Jackie asked in complete shock.

"It's me, sweetie. I'm home." But instead of running into her mother's arms joyfully, as Pam had expected her to, she was met with a piercing glare. She frowned, the small lines folding themselves deeper into her skin when she noticed the boy was scowling at her as well. What was his problem? She would have to tell her daughter that this was not the type of person she should be hanging around with.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jackie shouted, instantly filling the room with anger.

"Jackie! I can't believe you would speak to your own mother that way. What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with her, is she hasn't seen her whore of a mother in over a year and now you waltz in like everything's just fine," the boy suddenly spat. Pam finally dropped her smile and glared at the boy. How dare he talk to her like that!

"Excuse me, but I don't think you should be a part of this conversation," she responded icily. "In fact, I don't think you should even be in this house." She turned to her daughter. "Is this the kind of person you've been spending your time with since I've been gone? Has growing up in this house, has being raised by your father and I taught you nothing about your place in society?"

"What the hell are you talking about? You two assholes didn't raise her! You abandoned her! She's been taking care of herself since-" Jackie stepped over to the boy and placed her hands gently on his chest. Pam tightened her grip on her suitcase.

"Steven, stop," she said calmly, not upset in the least about his horrible accusations. That girl was never abandoned. He didn't know what he was talking about.

"Jackie, you can't let that woman say those things, okay, you-"

"You think I'm going to?" Jackie interrupted in a soft voice. Pam's eyes widened in surprise. But she continued. "After everything she's done to me, I am _not_ going to let her off the hook, all right?" The boy, whose name was apparently Steven, nodded stiffly. His fingers brushed against her hips. Pam clenched her jaw. What was Jackie doing, letting this poor, scruffy boy touch her like that?

"Okay," he responded softly. Jackie stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. He nodded again and finally walked to the door, glaring at Pam until she was behind him. She turned back to face her daughter and dropped her suitcase.

"What do you think you're doing, Jackie?" she hissed angrily.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that boy! Did he spend the night here? What happened to Martin?"

"_Michael_ cheated on me with every skank on the face of the earth. And yes, Steven did spend the night here." Jackie said this with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Pam stared in shock. This was not her daughter.

"Who are you? My Jackie would never even _look_ at that boy! Has my absence really affected you this much?"

Jackie gaped at her mother. "What do you think?" she said, her voice shaking with anger.

"Well, I-"

"How do you think it felt for me to grow up in this house, knowing my dad didn't give a crap about his family? Knowing my mother was off getting drunk and having sex with the first sleazy man-whore she laid eyes on? And the second one, and the third! You two have _never_ been my parents. You have never been there for me, never tried to get to know me, never cared that I was crying myself to sleep every single night because I was scared of being alone in this huge, empty mansion. So don't you dare start acting like you suddenly care about what I do. The only thing you care about is your goddamn reputation with this town. Which, by the way, has already been ruined due to you leaving me and Dad for the goddamn pool boy!" Jackie grabbed her half-empty glass of orange juice and threw it across the room. Pam ducked at the last second and watched it shatter against the opposite wall. She stared in shock, and a little bit of fear, at her daughter. Shakily, she stood up.

"I don't know what's happened to you, Jackie. But if you expect me to just sit by and watch you destroy yourself and this family by spending time with _him_, you are very mistaken, young lady. _Very_ mistaken." With that said, Pam turned on her heel and walked out of the room, satisfied that she would have Jackie back the way she was soon enough. But now, she deserved a break. Leaving her bags by the door, Pam stepped out of the house and back into her rented car. She backed out of the driveway, smiling at the thought of the bottle of tequila waiting for her in the nearest bar. Not to mention, the man pouring it.

_Someone who's not brave…_

Hyde walked quickly, trying to rid his body of the fury Pam had put there. He couldn't believe that bitch was actually back. He clenched his fists and walked faster, resisting the urge to punch the nearest solid object into bits. The cold did nothing to dull his anger, even though his bare arms were covered in goose bumps and a pale mist clouded in front of him with every breath he took. Hyde stopped suddenly when he realized he'd passed the Forman's house. Shaking his head, he turned around, taking several long steps to the basement door.

Donna and Eric jumped up from their horizontal position on the couch, startled, when Hyde burst into the room. Without glancing at the slightly disheveled couple, he sat down heavily in his chair. Donna sat up, pulling the hem of her shirt down.

"Hey, Hyde. Where'd you go last night?" Eric asked hesitantly.

"Jail," Hyde muttered, staring at the blank TV screen. Donna's eyes widened.

"What!" she shouted. "What the hell for?"

"Possession."

Eric laughed out loud. "Are you serious? Man, that's hysterical." He continued laughing, even when Donna slapped him on the arm. She shook her head at her boyfriend and turned back to Hyde.

"You're kidding, right?" He didn't say anything. The redhead stood up and smacked him in the back of his head.

"Ow! What the hell was that for, Donna?" Hyde asked irritated, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

"For being an idiot! Why aren't you still there?" She gasped. "Oh my god, you didn't break out or something, did you?"

Hyde rolled his eyes. "No, you psycho, Red bailed us out."

"Wait, wait, wait. Who's this _us_?" Eric said, suddenly serious.

Hyde groaned and closed his eyes. "Damnit," he muttered under his breath. The couple was still looking at him expectantly. "Jackie," he mumbled quietly, coughing immediately after saying her name. Eric looked at him, puzzled, but Donna's jaw dropped.

"What the hell! You and _Jackie_ got arrested for drug possession? What did you do to her, Hyde?"

"Nothing! Stop freaking out. We were talking by the Hub, she had a bag, a cop came and arrested us. End of story," Hyde said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"Oh, no. That is _so_ far from 'end of story.' Since when does _Jackie_ buy pot?" Donna questioned, crossing her arms. Eric frowned.

"Yeah, isn't it, like, forbidden for cheerleaders to do drugs? Doesn't that put a curse on the spirit stick or something?"

Hyde scowled at his skinny friend before turning back to Donna. "I would answer your questions if I wasn't so disturbed by Forman's abundant knowledge of cheerleader rituals," he said. Eric flushed.

"I don't know any…what are you talking about…" he finally stopped and threw his hands up in the air. "Well excuse me for knowing about the spirit stick! It's not my fault that girl wouldn't shut up about freakin' cheerleading camp. Her voice is piercing, man, something was bound to stick." Hyde shook his head in disbelief.

"Okay, enough about the damn spirit stick, you morons. I want to know why both of them got arrested if Jackie was the one with the bag." Donna said, crossing her arms decisively. Hyde didn't say anything, but his angry face and clenched fists gave enough away. Eric's eyes widened. He pointed an accusing finger at Hyde.

"You, you…I can't believe you took the blame for Jackie Burkhart!" he shouted, jumping up from the couch. Hyde rolled his eyes.

"Would you stop freaking out? She didn't even let me take the blame. She had to be a hero and get herself arrested along with me. And it's not like I haven't been arrested before. It was only for a few hours. Big deal." He immediately regretted saying this when he saw the look on Donna's face. She took a deep breath and stared at him like she'd never seen him before.

"YOU SLEPT WITH JACKIE!?" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Eric's legs collapsed from under him at these words and he sat motionless on the couch. His face was blank.

"Jesus, Donna. Yell a little louder, I don't think my eardrums are completely shattered," Hyde muttered, rubbing the side of his head. The redhead glared at him dangerously.

"Answer the question," she said shakily.

"No! God, why the hell would I sleep with Jackie? You've been spending way too much time in the circle," Hyde said. He decided not to explain that literally sleeping with Jackie really wasn't that big a deal. But they didn't need to know exactly where he spent the night. He nodded towards the limp body on the couch. "You might want to resuscitate your boyfriend, he looks a little paler than usual." And without another word, Hyde walked past Donna and climbed the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast. He would need his strength since Jackie was coming over.

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Reviews are lovely and take a short 30 seconds to do. Please leave one! 


	12. When There's No One Around

Ugh, I don't really like this chapter. It's really short and nothing happens, but I couldn't think of anything else to write and I wanted to post something. You know, since it's been forever. So, the next chapter will really be a continuation of this one. I'm just too lazy to write anything right now. But I'm allowed to be lazy because I just ran 4 and a half miles in the freaking woods. It was all muddy and hilly. shudders Not the greatest experience. Enough with my nonsense rambling. You know what to do.

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CHAPTER 12

Jackie stood motionless, staring at the place where her mother had been only minutes before. Her mother, in all her glory. Golden hair, manicured nails, and a perfect tan. She was a damn Barbie come to life. Without really meaning to, Jackie grabbed a towel and walked to the opposite wall. She rubbed the orange juice off the wall vacantly, replaying the 'welcome home' scene in her mind. 'Did Steven really do that for me? Did he really yell at her like that?' shaking her head, Jackie bent down carefully and picked up the pieces of broken glass from the floor. She dropped them into the trash can and sighed heavily, then turned around and left the kitchen. She walked across the foyer and up the stairs.

_Someone who's not free…_

Jackie bent down in the doorway of her room and picked up a jacket from the floor. A pair of rose-tinted sunglasses were hooked onto the pocket. She smiled and wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. The bottom hung below her hips and the cuffs covered her hands completely. The elbows were almost completely worn through and the thick material was so faded, she couldn't decide what its original color had been. The sweet smell of smoke and piney aftershave seemed to be sewn into the fabric.

It was perfect.

But he didn't want her.

Jackie's smile faded, and she slipped the jacket off of her slim frame. It didn't matter how perfect he seemed, he didn't feel the same way. She strode into her walk-in closet and placed the jacked on a hanger. She set it down while she looked for a change of clothes. The outfit she was wearing had too much of that jail smell. Jackie got dressed quickly and tossed her dirty clothes into the corner before turning back to the jacket. With a small tear rolling down her cheek, she hung it on a hook on the back of the door. Jackie quickly wiped the tear away and walked out of her room. 'No way am I going to cry over Steven Hyde' she thought angrily.

"He doesn't want me? Fine. It's his freakin' loss," Jackie said to herself as she walked back down the stairs. _So, he just yelled at your mother, defending you because he thinks you're repulsive? _She shook her head at the thought. He was just sensitive about abandonment, that's all. He still rejected her, so he was going to pay.

And with a flip of her wavy black hair, Jackie Burkhart made it her mission to make Hyde as miserable as possible.

x

x

Jackie strode confidently down the sidewalk, the Forman house in sight. She ignored the way her breath caught at the sight of Hyde, slouching at the kitchen counter while he ate some form of breakfast. Clenching her fists, she put her withering stare in place, eyes seeming to darken with every step. She crossed the driveway slowly, casually swinging her arms. Hyde seemed to stop eating and sit up straighter. Jackie smiled. Her evil faces were very powerful. But before Hyde could turn around and be a victim of Jackie's wrath, a hand grabbed her arm and dragged her backwards. With a yelp of surprise, the brunette stumbled and spun around. She rolled her eyes when she saw Donna, in yet another flannel shirt. The taller girl refused to let go and continued to drag Jackie in the opposite direction until they reached the Pinciotti house.

"What is your problem, Donna? Do you know how expensive this coat was? I don't want your gross lumberjack hands ruining it," she stated angrily, yanking her arm away. Donna crossed her arms over her chest, shooting daggers with her eyes.

"Where were you last night?" she asked accusingly. Jackie's eyes widened slightly.

"Um…at home. You know, giving myself a manicure," she replied with a smile and showed off her nails. Donna smirked triumphantly.

"Ha! Liar, I know you would never give yourself something you could get from uglier people," she said, pointing at her friend. Jackie swallowed nervously. "And don't bother making up excuses. Hyde already told us the whole story."

"Oh really?" she said loudly, trying to remember those zen lessons she had learned. They seemed so long ago. "What exactly is the story?"

"You both got arrested because you had a bag of pot!"

Jackie's face fell. "Oh. Well, yeah."

Donna shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about this!"

"Oh, come on, it happened six hours ago! What did you want me to do, call you from the cell block?"

"Well, they give you a phone call!"

"Yeah. And I used it to call Red and explain to him that everything was my fault so that he wouldn't punish Steven. Like you would have been able to bail us out anyway."

"Wait, you actually took the blame for something?" Donna asked and looked at her best friend incredulously.

"Of course I did, Donna. If it weren't for me, he never would have been arrested."

"I'm just surprised, is all. I keep forgetting how weird you've been lately."

Jackie placed her hands on her slim hips defensively. "How so?"

Donna sighed impatiently. "Oh, I don't know…How about the fact that this is the first time you've insulted me in over a week? Or that you don't talk about how amazing and incredible you are nearly as much as you used to? Not to mention, you just did time! And with Hyde, of all people."

Jackie groaned in annoyance. "I'm sorry, Donna, but I don't have time for this now, okay? I have to go torture Steven."

Donna looked confused. "Why?'

"It's a long story and I don't want to talk about it. But he needs to pay."

"What the hell for? Didn't he try to take the blame for you so you wouldn't go to jail?"

Jackie opened and closed her mouth several times before she actually formed any words. "Yes, but that has nothing to do with it. And besides, I got him out of jail. He should be on his knees thanking me for that but, no! He has to turn into a total _ass_ and-" she stopped when she realized Donna was staring. Jackie took a deep breath and adjusted her coat one more time. "I have to go." She spun around and flounced out of the yard, leaving a very confused redhead behind her.

_I will talk to you, no_

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Yeah, it sucked. But leave a review anyway. 


	13. Come On You Could Change Me

Yay! I'm updating. This chapter is a lot better than the last one, fyi. There's a nice long flashback in it that helps explain why Hyde hates Pam so much. At least, it does for me. Read and enjoy!

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CHAPTER 13

Hyde turned around in his seat just in time to see Donna drag a startled Jackie across the driveway. He grimaced, knowing she was about to be interrogated about her whereabouts the night before. And while she took to zen like a duck to water, her flat out lying needed much improvement, due to the fact that she had spent her whole life telling it like it is. Which is one of the things he couldn't help but love about her. Not a lot of people had that quality, to speak their minds in any situation. Not even him.

_I could use your saving now_

Once the two women disappeared from view, Hyde reluctantly turned back to his cereal. After a few more bites, however, he pushed the bowl away, no longer the least bit interested in the soggy o's floating in the milk. Mrs. Forman frowned at him from the other side of the counter.

"Steven, why aren't you eating your cereal?" she asked with her trademark motherly worry.

He shrugged. "Not hungry."

The woman shook her head and took the bowl away from him, her frown deepening when she caught sight of its contents . "Well, of course you're not! Who would be with this sitting in front of them." She placed the cereal in the sink and began rummaging through the cupboards. "What you need is a _real_ breakfast, and my famous chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream are just the thing a growing boy like you needs." Before Hyde even registered what his surrogate mother had said, she was cracking eggs into a mixing bowl and whisking away.

"Mrs. Forman, you really don't have to-"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, Steven," she interrupted in a sing-song voice. A moment later, chocolate chips were cascading into the batter, making up more than half of the contents in the bowl. Hyde chuckled slightly and gave in to her smothering. She hummed a Frank Sinatra tune while pouring the concoction into a pan on the stove. He plopped his elbows on the counter and rested his head into the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about the events of that morning. God, that whore of a woman really got under his skin. The way she pretended to care about her daughter absolutely sickened him. At least his own mother had the decency to leave him with no hope for her return. Then he wouldn't be disappointed when he never saw her again. But Pam Burkhart was perfectly okay with torturing Jackie, letting her spend the days wishing for her mother's love and the nights dreaming up the ways she would return, bringing home with her all the affection she'd never given. The fantasies were numerous, but he knew just about all of them…

_**Two months earlier**_

_Hyde wandered aimlessly through the disgustingly huge house. Even with the mess in the living room, elegance and luxury seeped from every corner. It was almost enough to make him puke. But after a vigorous thirty minutes in the (four car!) garage with Cat Peterson, followed by a solo beer drinking marathon, he was too satisfied with himself to really be that pissed off at the building._

_"Ugh, I'm going to KILL that moron!"_

_Although, its only other occupant had a voice that _did_ trigger some nausea. He fought to get rid of it as Jackie stomped down the stairs. _

_"Jimmy, I swear to God, if you don't get off my property in five seconds, I will burn every last pair of pants you have left and—oh, it's you." Jackie sighed and crossed her arms when she saw the person that wasn't Jimmy. "What are you still doing here?" she asked curiously. _

_He shrugged. "Cat Peterson." Jackie wrinkled her nose. "But we're done now. I just thought I'd grab whatever alcohol is still in this place before I go. Got to replenish my stash." Hyde said nonchalantly. He tried not to notice Jackie's change of clothing, but it was tough to do. Her patterned, flowing outfit had been replaced by a pair of black shorts that covered about an inch of her slim, tan legs. The pale pink long-sleeve shirt she was wearing was tight enough for him to be uncomfortably aware of her lack of a bra. The dark, wavy hair she was so proud of was no longer swept back in the intricate bun it had been in before. Now it hung loose past her shoulders and around her face, framing her delicate features. _

_"Well, help yourself. I think the keg's empty, but there's plenty of stuff in the liquor cabinet if you want it," Jackie said, snapping Hyde out of his trance. He shook his head quickly. _

_"Uh, no thanks. I think I'll just head out." He made his way towards the door, but stopped just before he reached it. Hating himself for feeling guilty, he turned around. _

_"Hey, Jackie?" he called out. She looked over at him. He shrugged slightly in apology. "Sorry for ruining your party." _

_She smiled at him, a sad smile. He didn't like how sad she seemed. "It's okay. I should have known how Michael would react when he heard the word 'party' whether 'classy' was in front of it or not. He is Michael, after all."_

_Hyde chuckled. "That he is." The two of them stood in the marble foyer awkwardly, neither one knowing what to do. The 'special brownies' incident had led to several more smoky meetings, but once the high wore off they had nothing to say to each other. And Hyde couldn't help but notice something different about Jackie's eyes when she looked at him now. Something that made him forget how to breath. _

_And he didn't want to leave just yet. _

_"So…" he said uncomfortably, not knowing what he wanted to say. Until he felt something in his jacket pocket. He saw Jackie's face light up when he pulled the small paper bag out. "I'm bored. You wanna do something?" _

_Jackie grinned. "Anything but Cat Peterson."_

_"How about Pam Macy?"_

_"You're a pig."_

_"Come on, Jackie, don't hurt me like that." _

_So with ridiculously huge smiles, the two near-strangers climbed the stairs to a pink bedroom that was soon filled with smoke. But there was no laughter this time. Instead, Hyde leaned against the foot of the bed with his eyes shut and his legs stretched out in front of him. Jackie's face was pressed into his stomach, every sob louder and more heartbreaking than the one before. A section of his shirt was already soaked through with tears. _

_"She should be home by now, Steven," she said hoarsely. "She promised to come back for me, she said she loved me. Why isn't she here?" As much as her companion wanted to answer, he couldn't. Why wasn't Pam here? Why wasn't Edna here? Why couldn't these two women find a way to love their only children? Hyde used to wish for an answer, used to lay awake on his ratty couch pondering the same things Jackie was now. But then the Forman's took him in, and it didn't matter anymore. He didn't need Edna's care, and he certainly didn't need her love. Those things would have been nice, sure, but sooner or later he had to realize he would never have them, or he would go crazy. So the zen became a part of him, instead of just an act he put on to annoy people. It became his protection, his sanctuary. It was all he needed to survive. Not his mother. Never his mother. And now, Hyde needed to convince Jackie that she was better off without her hers, too. _

_He rested his hand on her head and wrapped her soft hair around his fingers. She clung to him so desperately, he thought she might disappear if she ever let go. He sat up straighter and managed to lift her up so that her head leaned against his shoulder. Her arms locked themselves around his neck tightly, almost dangerously. But in his hazy mind, that was okay. It was even okay to hug her back. _

_So he did. _

_"Shh, relax Jackie. Just breath, okay? You're gonna be fine." He felt her head shake violently at that last sentence. He held her closer. "Yes you are," he said firmly, willing her to believe him. "You don't need her. The only reason you think you do is because she said she'd come back. And you've been holding on to that, letting it take you over. You don't need her to come back, Jackie. You don't need her to love you."_

_He had a feeling she had no idea what he was saying, but the deep, soothing sound of his voice calmed her down enough to breath more steadily. She shifted a bit in his arms and lifted her head from his shoulder. _

_"Sometimes, I dream that she comes back with something amazing for me," Jackie said softly. Hyde stared into her eyes, hypnotized by the sound of her melancholy voice. "That she was in some beautiful, exotic place. Or that she traveled to so many different places and had scrapbooks bursting with pictures from everywhere in the world. She would show it to me and hug me and say that the only thing that would have made it perfect was if I'd been there with her. And Daddy would come home from his business trip and see her and we would be happy. He wouldn't go away so much and Mom would stay here and love me." She looked downward, breaking their eye contact. She seemed almost ashamed of her confession. "Is that so much to ask?" she whispered. "Is it really that hard for them to love me? Am I that horrible?" _

_Hyde pushed her hair away from her face. Jackie looked up at him again, tears pooling in her eyes. He shook his head. _

_"No," he murmured, so softly, so honestly, he even surprised himself. She smiled, and looked away. The pair finally noticed just how much their original position had changed. Cheeks reddening, Jackie pushed herself out of Hyde's lap and pulled him up by the hand. He put his jacket back on. Both of them were completely sober again. Shyly, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, keeping her balance by resting her hands on his broad shoulders. They shared one last smile. _

_"Thank you, Steven," she said quietly. _

_"Anything for you, doll," he responded before leaving the room. _

_**Present day**_

"Here you go, Steven."

Hyde was shaken out of his memory by the smell of warm chocolate. Mrs. Forman beamed as she set the plate down in front of him. He gave her a small smile.

"Thank you, Mrs. Forman," he said as he cut his first bite from the three large pancakes in front of him. She patted his hand lightly.

"Oh, it's no problem, sweetie. Just make sure you wash it down with some Tang."

Hyde chocked slightly on his first bite and coughed loudly. The curly haired woman gave him a stern look.

"Steven, what have I told you about taking big bites? It's just a trip to the emergency room waiting to happen," she said, followed by her trademark laugh. "Eat up," she added before striding through the swinging door. Hyde chuckled some more and took another bite. He was halfway done when the sliding door opened.

* * *

Whew, that was fun. I'm exhausted and hungry, and even though you can't do anything about that, you can leave a review!! They make me happy. 


	14. You Could Steal Me

Okay, I know it's been a long time but I really think this chapter is pretty good. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. Your support is the only thing keeping this story going and I really appreciate it. Enjoy!

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CHAPTER 14 

After several seconds, Donna chased after the fiery brunette that had been in front of her only moments before.

"Jackie, wait up!" she called out. Her hair whipped her in the face as she spun her head around, searching in vain for the girl that was causing so much trouble. With a sigh, Donna ran her fingers through her hair and stood in her boyfriend's driveway. When Jackie didn't appear again, she let her arm drop and walked into the kitchen. Hyde was at the counter, eating a plateful of Mrs. Forman's famous chocolate chip pancakes, but turned around at the sound of the door opening. He nodded hello at Donna before returning to his meal. She sat down at the table.

"Oh, hello there, Donna." She turned at the sound of her name and saw her boyfriend's mother smiling down at her. She smiled back.

"Good morning, Mrs. Forman."

"You look like you could use some pancakes," the older woman said before setting a plateful down on the table. Donna grinned.

"Thanks, they look delicious."

Mrs. Forman beamed at her before taking Hyde's empty plate away from him.

"Maybe you can help Steven here sort out his little Jackie problems," she said with raised eyebrows. Donna laughed.

"I'm pretty sure he's beyond help," she responded with a chuckle. Hyde gave her a curious look. He waited for Mrs. Forman to leave the room before saying anything.

"What did Jackie tell you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Enough to make me wonder if she's still taking her meds," Donna responded jokingly through a mouthful of pancakes. Hyde scowled.

"Anything specific? About, oh, I don't know…me?"

"Ha, she had plenty to say about you. _Plenty_."

"Donna, you're making it really hard for me to stay opposed to hitting women. Just tell me what the hell she said!"

Donna raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Keep your panties on," she said, shaking her head. Hyde's scowl deepened. "Sorry. It wasn't that big a deal. I didn't understand half the stuff she was saying anyway. You know how she gets when she talks. It was just a jumbled ramble about how you need to suffer and she'll do anything to make you pay." Donna shrugged. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Hyde gaped at her. "Oh, of course not. It's not like she's a spoiled, stubborn, bitchy person determined to get her way no matter what and usually does, or anything," he replied sarcastically. Donna nodded in agreement.

"Exactly what I—oh," she interrupted her own sentence when Hyde's words finally sunk in. A slight giggle escaped her. "Wow, you're so screwed."

"Get bent," he muttered.

"Aw, does little tiny Jackie scare you?" Donna said tauntingly. "She is pretty terrifying, what with her Donny Osmond eight tracks, and her unicorn t-shirts, oh, and those cheerleading pom-poms-"

"Don't forget the many pairs of pointy, high-heeled boots," he cut in. "Those things are fatal, man." He chose to ignore Donna's growing laughter. "Not to mention her uncanny ability to hold a grudge for an impossibly large amount of time."

Donna finally stopped laughing. "What the hell happened with you two?"

"Nothing!" he said defensively. "We're not even friends. What makes you think something happened with us?"

It was Donna's turn to stare. "Gee, I don't know. How about…everything that's happened from eleven hours ago until now?"

Hyde groaned. "Nothing _happened_, we just sort of got arrested."

"Okay," Donna said skeptically, "but I still find it hard to believe that you, Steven Hyde, criminal and bad ass of Point Place, would take the fall for someone you don't care about. Something must have happened between you two."

Hyde rubbed his face with his hands and finally gave up. "Fine. We've been hanging out a lot since she dumped Kelso." Donna raised her eyebrows, encouraging him to elaborate. Which he did, albeit reluctantly. "I guess you could say we're, I dunno, pretty close friends, but that's all."

"That's all?" she replied in disbelief. "You two have hated each other with a passion ever since she first desecrated the basement with her presence. You two can't possibly be friends."

"Well, we're not anymore, now that she's expecting things from me and stuff," he mumbled, mostly to himself. Donna narrowed her eyes.

"What kind of things?" she said slowly.

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Does it really matter now? She's out there, thinking up ways to torture me because she thought I didn't want-" He stopped himself, but he knew it was too late.

"Oh, my god. You _like_ her." Donna's face was frozen in shock. "I mean you really like her. As in, Chachi loves Joanie, like her! I don't believe this!" She waited for Hyde to deny everything she was saying, to tell her she was crazy, that he hated Jackie. But when he stayed silent, she still couldn't accept it. "No way," she said, shaking her head. "That's insane. That's the most insane, unreasonable, ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"What is?"

Hyde and Donna turned their heads towards the voice. Eric stood in the kitchen in front of the swinging door, staring at them suspiciously.

"Toaster strudel," Hyde said nonchalantly. He stood up and made his way to the sliding door. "I tried to explain it to her, man, but she refuses to believe me." Donna glared at his retreating form before turning to her boyfriend. Eric was nodding in understanding.

"It is pretty unbelievable. I mean, it's strudel, but toastable?" He shook his head. "Oh, the things people come up with." Donna rolled her eyes and walked over to the phone. After the fifth ring, Jackie picked up.

"Hello?"

"I can't believe you and Hyde have been sneaking around behind everyone's backs! Why the hell didn't you tell me about this?"

"Donna? What are you talking about, me and Steven aren't doing anything," she replied with a fake, and very guilty, laugh.

"Then what's with the 'Steven' business then, huh?" Donna could almost sense Jackie rolling her eyes.

"It's his name, Donna. Duh."

"Well then, explain why he just practically told me that he likes you?"

Jackie perked up at that. "He did?" she practically screeched into the phone. Donna winced.

"Yes!"

"Okay, how exactly did he say it? Were the words 'glorious,' 'amazing,' or 'incredible' used at all?"

"No."

Jackie huffed. "Well, it doesn't really count then, does it?"

"Just tell me one thing: do you like him back?" she asked, holding her breath.

"I don't think that's any of your business," Jackie responded coolly before slamming the phone down. Donna hung her phone up angrily and placed her hands on her hips.

"Can you believe she won't tell me anything? When she was with Kelso, it was all, 'Oh, Michael took me out to dinner last night' and 'I gave Michael a makeover' and 'Michael is so bad in bed.' I had to listen to every freakin' detail of her disgusting love life, and the one time I actually want to know something, she just-" she stopped ranting when she saw Eric's face. She rushed towards him. "Eric? Eric are you okay?" she said worriedly. He looked at her.

"Please tell me this is all a dream and Jackie and Hyde don't really have the hots for each other," he said hoarsely. Donna sighed.

"I wish I could, Eric. I wish I could." He nodded blankly and wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh, Donna. What are we going to do?"

x

x

_I will wait for you there_

"What is Donna's problem," Jackie mumbled to herself angrily. She paced around her room, occasionally grabbing a stuffed animal and throwing it as hard as she could when her anger got the best of her. "Like she knows anything about Steven and me. Or about what an ass he is." With a sigh, Jackie sat down on the edge of her bed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. Jackie Burkhart never cries over some guy. She gets payback.

But her body was flooded with exhaustion, and the thought of planning out Hyde's suffering made her head ache. She glanced at the clock. It was 3:30, just in time for her favorite soap opera to start. Jackie turned on her small TV and changed into pajamas. At the first commercial, she ran downstairs to make some popcorn and hot chocolate. While the snack was cooking, she called Leslie, her best cheerleading friend, and told her she was sick and couldn't go to the game that evening. This afternoon, she was going to pamper herself.

x

x

_Come on, you could change me_

Hyde grudgingly followed Kelso and Fez into the football stadium, hating himself for being there. He was going against everything he believed in just to get a glimpse of some chick in a tiny, pleated skirt. Only the truly whipped did anything like that.

He sat down on the cold metal bleachers and breathed warm air into his cupped hands. It wasn't close enough to summer for the Wisconsin evenings to be pleasant and he hadn't found his jacket that afternoon. It didn't help that he had stubbornly refused Kitty's offer to let him borrow one of Eric's sweaters. But what else was he supposed to do? 'Dorky, Star Wars nerd' didn't look good on him.

"Kelso, where the hell is the beer?" he barked to his moronic friend. He didn't get an answer. The handsome boy was too busy staring down the shirts of the girls sitting in front of them. Hyde impatiently smacked him on the back of the head. Kelso gave him a look that slightly resembled a puppy having been hit on the nose with a newspaper. One he had perfected over the years, much like Jackie had with that little pout of hers.

Damn. He hadn't meant to think about her. Which was stupid, really, since she was the reason he was at the school's football game, freezing his ass off.

"Damn, Hyde, what was that for?" Kelso asked unhappily, rubbing the back of his head. Hyde rolled his eyes.

"Did you bring any beer?"

"No, but the hot cocoa has some peach schnapps in it."

Hyde stared at him. "Peach, Kelso? Peach and chocolate? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey, if you don't want any, fine. More for me and Fez. Right little buddy?"

The foreign boy smiled up at his friend. "Right. I do love the mixture of candy and alcohol."

"Shut up, you morons," Hyde muttered, yanking the thermos away from them. He took a long gulp as the cheerleaders pranced onto the field in all their long legged glory. His brow furrowed when he didn't see Jackie right away. She was always easy to spot, being the shortest one and the most energetic. He leaned towards Kelso.

"Hey man, how come Jackie's not out there?"

"Oh, I think she's sick or something. I was making out with Leslie Copper in the shaggin' wagon and she told me Jackie called her and told her. And it's good that she warned me, because I was about to take Jackie back, but if she looks the way she did after that time at the reservoir," he shook his head. "There is _no_ way she's getting another ride on the Apollo rocket of love."

Hyde frogged his idiot friend in the arm and stood up. "This is lame man, I'm outta here," he said and turned to leave. A second later, he turned back around and grabbed the thermos, ignoring the angry shouts that followed him. Snickering, Hyde walked away from the campus and made his way towards Jackie's house.

* * *

You know what to do. That little purple button isn't there for decoration! 


	15. You Could Turn All The Lights On

Alright people, the moment you've all been waiting for. The next chapter should be up within a week. Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 15

Jackie rolled onto her stomach and buried her head under her pillow. She nearly screamed in frustration when it wasn't enough to muffle the noise on the floor beneath her room. She stood up angrily and stomped to her record player, shoving in the first disc she got her hands on. With a scowl on her pretty face, she twisted the volume knob until it wouldn't turn anymore. Jackie almost leapt backwards in alarm when the powerful sound of piercing guitars, hammering drums, and a pulsating bass burst suddenly through the speakers. She glanced at the record cover she was still holding.

"Huh," she mumbled to herself. "Led Zeppelin III. No wonder." Hyde had been bringing records with him whenever he came over, convinced that he could convert Jackie's disco-loving ways. He refused to admit defeat, even when Jackie started bringing ABBA and Bee Gee albums to the basement. Both were certain they could crack the other.

She set the cover down and wrinkled her nose when Robert Plant began singing "Immigrant Song". His voice didn't do much for her. Too whiney, and not nearly as smooth as Elton John's. Jackie lifted the needle carefully and set it down where the fourth track began, the only song by the band that she enjoyed. With a sigh and a smile, she slipped back into her bed, crawling under the covers, letting the somber music drown out the sounds of her mother's 'welcome home' party below her.

x

x

Hyde cursed silently under his breath when he arrived at the Burkhart mansion. For the first time in a long time, it didn't look empty and haunted. In fact, he distinctly heard music and laughter coming from I, and at least twenty cars were parked along the street. But while the bottom floor was lit up brightly, the rest of the house looked dark and sinister.

Except for one window on the second story. It was barely visibly, but he was sure he could see the slightest glow.

Hyde swore again, knowing it was Jackie's room. Pam must have thrown this lavish party. Some lame excuse for her to get good and drunk. He shook his head in disgust when drunken shouts and cheers burst from the building. 'Maybe you should just leave, she'll be at the basement tomorrow,' he thought to himself. But he could picture her up in her room, completely alone, surrounded by stuffed animals, listening to the party. Probably plotting his murder.

He didn't buy for a minute that Jackie was sick. He knew that a little cold wasn't enough to keep her away from the activity. She had once told him that cheerleading was the only thing she did that made her happy, made her forget about her parents. It wasn't the other girls on the team. He knew for a fact that none of them were Jackie's real friends. She said it was simply the energy in cheerleading that she fell in love with. All of the flips and spins combined with dancing gave her an elated feeling, a feeling of recklessness that she loved. And here Hyde had always thought it was the cheerleader status that Jackie was obsessed with.

Hyde breathed into his hands for what seemed to be the millionth time since he'd stepped outside in the cold. Wondering where the hell his jacket could be, he crossed the lawn quickly and silently, until he was directly under Jackie's window. There was a small ledge just under it that he could climb onto. When he got that far, that is. Frowning, Hyde looked up and down the wall leading to his destination. Finally, he walked towards it. He wrapped his hands around a wide metal drain pipe, wincing at its icy temperature, and began to climb.

It was surprisingly easier than he thought it would be. The wall behind it was made of stones, which were all jutting out, making it easy to ascend. As he got higher, he heard different music than what was playing downstairs. He frowned, trying to figure out what it was. His eyes widened when he recognized the familiar lyrics of his favorite song.

_Working from seven to eleven every night, _

_It really makes life a drag, I don't think that's right. _

_I've really, really been the best of fools, I did what I could. _

Hyde pulled himself up onto the ledge with difficulty, his heart stopping several times when his hands slipped. He was beginning to realize how ridiculously stupid he was being. He was scaling the wall of a cheerleader's house, hoping that said cheerleader wasn't going to push him right back out the window the minute he got inside. If going to the football game didn't turn him into a total pansy, _this_ certainly did.

_'Cause I love you, baby, how I love you, darling, how I love you, baby, _

_How I love you, girl, little girl. _

_But baby, since I've been loving you. I'm about to lose my worried mind, oh, yeah. _

Jackie rolled onto her back, startled. A loud thump sounded just outside her room. She sat up slowly, bracing herself for whatever was outside. She cocked her head to the side in confusion when she heard a gentle rapping on her window.

_Everybody trying to tell me that you didn't mean me no good. _

_I've been trying, Lord, let me tell you, let me tell you I really did the best I could._

She sat up and walked towards the noise slowly, her heart speeding up in fear. The small lamp on her bedside table wasn't nearly bright enough for her to see what was out there through the lacy material covering the glass. Before she could think twice about it, Jackie yanked open the curtains. She jumped back in surprise and felt a scream catch in her throat when she saw the dark outline of a man. Her breathing finally slowed when she realized who it was.

_I've been working from seven to eleven every night, I said it kinda makes my life a drag._

_Lord, that ain't right..._

_Since I've been loving you, I'm about to lose my worried mind. _

"Steven?" Jackie said softly, surprise evident on her face. She stepped back towards the window and forced it open, shivering when the cold night wind blew into her room. He was there, kneeling on the dangerously small ledge with a smirk on his face. She reached out and pulled him inside.

_Said I've been crying, oh my tears they fell like rain _

Hyde stumbled into the room clumsily, knocking several stuffed animals off of a dresser. He shrugged in apology when Jackie glared at him.

"God, what the hell are you doing?" she asked angrily, the feeling of rejection still fresh in her mind.

"You weren't at the game," he said simply.

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "How do you know?"

"I was there."

She looked at him incredulously. "What were _you_ doing at a school function?" she said suspiciously. Hyde rolled his eyes and shuffled his feet in embarrassment. "Steven?" Jackie prodded, willing him to give her an answer.

"I was looking for you, what do you think I was doing?" he finally responded, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Why?"

"Because I have to tell you something."

_Don't you hear, don't you hear them falling, _

Jackie stood before him silently, waiting for him to speak. She was hoping so badly that he would say what she wanted to hear. Like, how important she had become to him over the past few weeks. Or how different she was to him, now that he knew what an empty life she led. Or how much he wished their almost kiss hadn't been almost, that Kelso hadn't walked in at that moment so that it could have been real and long and breathless. Jackie stood and waited for him, watching emotions flash through his blue, blue eyes. Examining his face through the shadows.

_Don't you hear, don't you hear them falling_

Hyde fiddled with the sunglasses hanging on his shirt, itching to put them on so he could shield himself from the beautiful girl standing in front of him, with anger radiating off of her small and unbelievably sexy body. But he knew he had been hiding for long enough, perhaps too long. Maybe it was time he told her what he had been feeling for the weeks of their friendship. Time he told her how he never thought he could get close to someone like her. How comforting her presence had become to him. How hard it was for him to stand so close to her and not be able to touch her. But most of all, he wanted to tell her that he wished he had kissed her that day in the basement. That he wished they hadn't heard Kelso's loud footsteps on the stairs, and even if they had, that they had kissed anyway. Hyde wanted to tell her how much he wished he could kiss her now. But the words didn't seem like enough anymore. His favorite song was playing on her record player, and she was right there, waiting for him.

So he took two long steps, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her hard.

_Baby, since I've been loving you, I'm about to lose, I'm about lose to my worried mind._

* * *

Sorry I ended it right when it was getting good. I'm a tease ; )

The song was "Since I've Been Loving You" by Led Zeppelin. It's one of my favorite songs ever, top five at least. Everyone should listen to it (hint hint).


	16. And Show Me the Real Me

Here it is! The moment you've all _really_ been waiting for. Sorry for leaving you hanging like that. I hope this chapter makes up for it. Please review!

* * *

CHAPTER 16

Jackie was motionless. For about, half a second. Ignoring the shock, pushing every single thought out of her mind, she closed her eyes tightly and kissed him back, letting the feeling of his warm, soft lips engulf her. His hands slid from her hair, down her neck and shoulders and waist before settling on her lower back, pulling her firmly into his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and dug her fingers into his hair, moaning at his touch. Everywhere his hands had been was burning, making her arch her back in pleasure.

Neither of them knew how long it had been. They could hardly breath, but both refused to part from each other for even the fraction of a second it would be to take a breath. Jackie decided she couldn't taste nearly enough of his mouth and parted her lips. Hyde responded eagerly, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He lifted up the hem of her shirt slowly and spread his fingers against the smooth skin of her back. Jackie finally pulled away from him with a slight gasp.

"What?" Hyde asked, panting heavily.

"Your hands are freezing! What the hell did you do?" she replied, her breaths just as shallow and erratic as his.

He scowled. "I climbed up a drainpipe on the side of your house."

Jackie smiled guiltily. "Well, thank you." She tilted her head towards his for another kiss, but jumped away from him at the sound of footsteps clacking closer and closer the door. "Crap, it's my mother! Get in the closet," she whispered, shoving Hyde backwards. He stumbled toward it and wrenched the door open. He was about to enter when he turned to face Jackie.

"This is your _closet_?" he said incredulously. "It's bigger than my freaking room!"

"Just shut up and get in!" she hissed from her bed as she pulled the covers over her head. He rolled his eyes and did what she said, just as the bedroom door opened.

"Jackie darling, would you please turn your, erm, _music_ down? You're disturbing the party." Jackie didn't answer, focusing instead on making her breathing as regular as possible. "Jackie?" Pam said again, her voice sounding more annoyed. With a huff, she stepped into the room and slammed Jackie's door shut. "Would you wake up? Stop being such an immature little brat and turn your music off!"

Jackie rolled over and sat up groggily, her eyes half closed. "Mom? What do you want?"

"Don't you play that game with me. You know exactly what I want." She stomped over to the record player and yanked the cord out of the wall.

"Mom!"

"Stop screaming! People will hear you. I have some very important guests downstairs, and I don't need them to think it's my fault you turned into such a horrible girl."

"Well, that's definitely not your fault, seeing as how you were never here," Jackie said darkly. Pam clenched her jaw, but didn't say anymore. Jackie watched her mother exit the room dramatically, slamming the door shut in her wake. She collapsed against the pillows and blinked rapidly in a desperate attempt to hold in her tears. Hyde came slowly out of the closet. She turned her back to him, humiliated that he witnessed the whole scene. She felt the mattress move as Hyde sat down behind her.

"It gets easier." Jackie didn't move. "At least, it did with my mom. She never really cared either. It's hard at first, when you realize they don't love you—or else they do a really crappy job showing it—but it does get easier."

Jackie took a deep, shaky breath. "How long was—" she stopped and rubbed her eyes, willing them dry again. "How long was it until you stopped caring that she didn't love you?"

Hyde waited a while to answer. "I'm working on it," he replied softly. At these words, Jackie couldn't control herself any longer. He didn't leave, like she thought he would, and he didn't sit still and wait for her to stop crying. Jackie let him lift her body into a sitting position and pull her against him. When he kissed the top of her head, she turned around and buried her face in his shoulder. His arms around her would keep her safe.

They didn't move for the rest of the night.

x

x

_When there's no one around_

"Are you positive there's nothing going on between you and the devil cheerleader?"

"For the last time, Erica, yes. I'm positive."

Ignoring the mispronunciation of his name, Eric sat down on the couch, relief plainly written on his face.

"Thank god. I knew Donna had to be lying to me."

"Yeah. Sure. Just shut up and watch your little Sunday morning cartoons, alright?" Hyde walked back into the kitchen, shaking his head and fiddling with the hem of his jacket.

That morning he and Jackie had decided not to tell their friends about the shift in their relationship. They agreed it would only make things even more complicated than they already were. She had seemed a little embarrassed when they woke up, probably because it was the second night in a row she had spent crying on his shoulder. But strangely, he didn't mind. He almost liked how she clung to him, like he was the only thing in the world that could help her. And even though he should have been disgusted with the "you're my hero" expression she wore whenever she looked at him, he wasn't. In fact, Hyde almost looked forward to it. Almost.

The point is, he wasn't nearly ready to divulge a fraction of this information to the gang. They would flip out enough just knowing that, after the little chat, Jackie and Hyde had spent the next hour of the morning making out on her bed. And when Pam finally woke up and stumbled into Jackie's room (with what they assumed was a massive hangover), they both jumped into the closet. That's where Hyde finally found his jacket, hiding beneath several pairs of shoes and a scarf.

He brought the cuff of the sleeve up to his nose and breathed in. Somehow, Jackie's scent seemed to have invaded the rough material. It had been in her room for a day and a night, but apparently that was long enough. He walked across the kitchen to the fridge and opened it, searching for anything edible. His attention was caught, however, by two girls crossing the driveway. Donna waved at him and gestured to the basement. He nodded, but kept his eyes on someone else. Jackie gave him a sexy smile and walked to the stairs with her hips swaying under a pair of tight black jeans. Hyde groaned inwardly. He had a feeling they wouldn't be able to keep their secret for long.

* * *

Yeah, I know it was short. And I think Jackie came off as a bit pathetic. But she's going through some emotional issues, so I think it's okay. The next chapter is going to be really good, I promise. It will be the last of the story unless I have to break it into two parts. Please review!! 


	17. Maybe If I'm Lucky

YES!! I've been trying to post this chapter for days but the stupid site wouldn't let me. But it finally worked. Yay! I did decide to make the conclusion two parts, so there will be one more chapter after this. And then I'm finally done! _does a happy dance _

Read and Review!

* * *

CHAPTER 17 

Jackie's eyes snapped open. She shoved her arms between her chest and the body on top of it and managed to shove him off of her. Hyde glared at her for a moment, but his eyes widened when he heard it too. He pushed himself up and leapt to his chair, grabbing his sunglasses off the table as he did so. Jackie lifted herself to a sitting position on the couch and pulled her skirt down to a respectable length just as the door opened.

"I'm telling you, man, this time it really was a UFO!"

"Kelso, we've talked about this. Planes do not count as UFOs."

"Shut up, Eric, you're just jealous."

Kelso flopped onto the lawn chair with a pout on his face and crossed his arms. Eric rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch next to Jackie. He looked back and forth between her and Hyde.

"What were you guys doing down here?" he asked suspiciously.

"Watching the Happy Days marathon," Hyde responded flatly.

Satisfied with the answer and completely oblivious to the guilty expression on his friend's face, Eric stood up and walked to the deep freeze. Kelso left the lawn chair and sat next to Jackie, putting his arm on the back of the couch behind her head.

"So. Jackie," he said in his so-called sexy voice. "You seem mighty lonesome these days. So, if you ever want someone to keep you company, just give me a call." He squeezed her shoulders and winked, seeming to think her look of disgust was one of arousal.

"Hey Kelso, I saw Leslie at the Hub a few minutes ago. She said she was looking for you," Hyde said casually. No one noticed the sudden tapping of his foot, something he only did when he was tense. No one but Jackie, that is. Kelso's eyes widened.

"Damn, Hyde, why didn't you say anything sooner?" he shouted before leaping off the couch and out the door. Jackie rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Well, you guys are boring me. I'm gonna go find Donna," she said and walked up the stairs to the kitchen. Eric sat back down on the couch with a grape popsicle in his hand. He grinned and propped his feet up on the table.

"Finally she's gone. I was about ready to cut my ears off."

Hyde gave him a strange look. "She said, like, two words man."

"Yeah, but her presence is enough to make me hear that voice. Have you noticed how it kind of echoes?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't care how many times my mom says it's the loud records that'll make me go deaf. If I do, it's because of all the time spent with Jackie screeching in my ear." Eric leaned over and patted Hyde on the arm. "But now it's just us guys."

Hyde snorted. "No, now it's you alone and pathetic in your basement. I'm going out." He stood up.

"Whoa, where do you think you're going?"

"I'm just heading over to the soda shop with Timmy. But don't worry Mom, I'll be back by curfew," Hyde replied sarcastically. Eric glared at him.

"Shut up."

_I will wait for you there…_

Hyde snickered and took the stairs two at a time. He was about to turn into the kitchen when a small hand grabbed his elbow from the opposite room. He smirked when Jackie pushed him against the wall with all the strength she had in her little body and pressed herself against him. He kissed her eagerly in the dark hallway, his hands touching every part of her he could reach. They finally settled in her hair. Oh, god her hair. How was it possible for it to be so smooth? He loved how cold it always seemed to be, cold and silky. Locks of her hair glided over his fingers and wrists, sending chills up his arms and throughout his body, making the heat exploding from her lips so much hotter. Jackie's hands gripped his waist tightly, her nails nearly digging into his flesh. She dragged them further down his sides and slowly lifted the hem of his t-shirt. Hyde moaned into her mouth and pulled her closer, yet never able to bring her close enough. Jackie was just beginning to rub small circles on his flat stomach with her fingertips, moving further and further up his chest, when they heard Mrs. Forman enter the kitchen through the swinging door. Jackie reluctantly backed away from him and was about to make her way towards the kitchen, when Hyde grabbed her by the hand and pulled her outside through the door in the dinning room. She giggled at his irritation, loving the way he hated the interruptions. He didn't stop walking until they reached the back of the garage, the perfect hiding place. He pushed Jackie into the wall behind her and kissed her again, slower this time. She dug her fingers through his hair, pulling him deeper into her mouth. His hands drifted up her shirt languidly, taking their time to touch every bit of skin hidden by the soft material. His thumbs had just brushed the bottom of her lacy bra, when—

"What the hell!?"

For the second time in less than ten minutes, Jackie found herself hurriedly shoving Hyde off of her. She tried to look innocent, and wiped her lips with one hand, while yanking her shirt down with the other. Hyde rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the ground. Donna's eyes were widened in shock and her jaw seemed to have lost all use. She pointed a limp finger at the guilty couple.

"You, and you…what just…?" Donna couldn't seem to get any words out. Jackie's face suddenly brightened.

"This is a dream, Donna," she said in a faraway voice. "It's not really happening. Soon, you will wake up and realize that everything you saw was simply a figment of your imagination..." Hyde rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I don't think that'll work," he said in Jackie's ear. She smacked him lightly on the chest.

"Donna? Please say something, I'm getting a little freaked out here," Jackie said, concerned.

"How did this happen?" the redhead finally yelled. "What the hell made you two start this, this…unholy…whatever it is you're doing?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, Donna, why are you so surprised? _Both_ of us told you we liked each other, remember? This shouldn't be such a shock."

"But that was weeks ago! I thought you guys just went temporarily insane and now you've grown out of it. Ever since then, you two have barely even looked at each other!"

"Because we didn't want anyone to find out what we were doing," Jackie said slowly, as though she were talking to a three year old. "And I thought for sure you already figured out what was going on. A couple of days ago, you were telling me how weird it was that me and Steven were always leaving the basement right after each other. Didn't that give you a hint?"

Donna crossed her arms angrily, but the slightly confused look on her face proved that she was just realizing how obvious their secret should have been. "Well, yeah. But it's still creepy and unnatural," she said, pointing at them defensively.

Jackie snorted. "So are you and Eric."

Hyde cut in when he saw the offended look on Donna's face. "Look Donna, the point is that it happened, and we're kind of seeing each other now. So we'd really appreciate it if you would stop twitching, and act like you never saw this."

"Why do you want it to be a secret?"

He shook his head and gave Donna a strange look. "Because it's more entertaining that way," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Duh," Jackie added, rolling her eyes.

Donna looked back and forth between the two, clearly unsure of what to say. Finally, she sighed. "Okay, fine. I won't say anything." Jackie smiled in relief. "_But_ let me just say for the record, that I think keeping this little fling of yours a secret is a really stupid idea. You have to tell everyone soon, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, we will," Hyde muttered.

"And it's not a little fling, Donna. He loves me," Jackie said with a smirk. Hyde rolled his eyes again and glared down at her.

"Will you shut up?" he said, irritated. Jackie pinched him. Donna let out a slight chuckle.

"Uh-huh. I'll be leaving now," she stated. The angry pair didn't watch as the redhead walked over to the basement. They were back in their original position against the garage wall, anger having fueled their passion, before the sound of her footsteps had faded away.

_When there's no one around_

x

x

That night, Hyde stepped out of the Vista Cruiser with his friends in a very good mood. Which was strange for him, so he made sure to keep it hidden under a thick layer of indifference. It was a perfect evening. The air was warm and sweet and a cool breeze drifted through the streets, dragging dry leaves along with it. The group happily stepped towards their destination, feeling unstoppable. The guard at the door barely glanced at them before going back to his cigarette. With broad grins of victory, they walked casually into the dim building.

"All right. They didn't even check our fake I.D.'s." Eric said loudly, making himself heard over the music.

"And I wasted a whole day thinking up my fake name," Fez said sadly, shaking his head. Hyde snorted.

"Yeah. Sorry 'Pez,'" he said sarcastically. "Let's drink!" He led the way to the bar, already tasting the alcohol he was about to order. The bartender straightened up, tossing a towel over his shoulder.

"So, fellas, school let out early?" he asked.

"Yeah. We're just—" Kelso began.

"Kelso, shut up!" Eric yelped with a smile, trying to retain his casual manner. His moronic friend immediately began stuttering nervously.

"Uh, I mean, no. No, we're old. We're workers. We're all construction workers. Hey, fellas, did you see that brick today? Whoo!"

The bartender chuckled a little. "Relax, guys. It's 'Serve a Minor Night' at the old 'Don't Have a Liquor License' Saloon," he said. With a curious look on his face, he turned to Hyde. "You look familiar. Do I know you?" he asked innocently. Hyde's face was hard.

"I should hope so. Dad."


	18. NOT A REAL CHAPTER

Sorry, this isn't an actual chapter. I know it's been forever and there's only one chapter left, but I'm completely stuck with all of my stories. It's really bringing me down. But this is mostly to tell you guys that, sorry, but I wont be updating anything or reading anything for a few weeks. I'm really stressed out right now with school and some personal issues. Once finals are over, I'll be back, but there's no way I'll pass anything if fanfiction keeps distracting me. You're all such good writers, I'm addicted to so many stories. So, I blame you! Just kidding. But seriously. There is some major talent on this site. Anyway, I promise I will have new chapters up in a few weeks. Please don't forget about me!!! I love all of you.

lovetaker


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